Metamorphosis
by n00btmntfan
Summary: Gabriel Agreste has a plan that requires the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, and he will stop at nothing to achieve it-not even if it means gambling with the life of his own beloved son. When Adrien's secret is revealed, he finds himself facing his worst nightmare: fighting with Hawk Moth face to face without Ladybug at his side to aid him.
1. Le Chevalier Rouge

_Disclaimer: "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir" and all derivative works are the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc, Zagtoons, Disney, Nickelodeon, and a lot of other people. n00btmntfan is not associated in any way with the makers of "Miraculous." This story is nothing but a fan-based expansion and commentary on the source material and should not be understood as anything beyond that._

 **Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my first Miraculous fic,** ** _Recompense._** **I recommend you read that first, then come back and check this one out! If you don't feel like reading it, you should be able to pick things up pretty easily. Here's the summary of Recompense:**

 **Marinette's life has become complicated enough as she tries to stop supervillains, so when a run-of-the-mill villain shoots her father, she begins to wonder if Ladybug isn't doing enough to help Paris. A new supervillain on the scene wonders the same thing and begins seeking justice for everyday crime. Meanwhile, Adrien has lost his ring.**

* * *

Gabriel Agreste sat up, pulling his head from his desk. An ungodly pain in his neck stabbed at him. _I fall asleep at my desk too often_ , he thought. He sighed. _Not enough sleep...not since...Emilie..._

The image of his wife flashed before his eyes—her lithe curves, her brilliant green eyes, the merry chime of her laugh. Heat rose to his cheeks at the memory of her velvet lips brushing across his, and her slender arms encircling him.

His thoughts drifted back to the night she had disappeared.

"Now, Emilie," Gabriel had said, gently tracing the outline of her lips. "None of your crime-fighting tonight, please. Tonight is for us."

"Hmm," Emilie had replied, kissing his fingertips. "You know I have an obligation. Ever since..."

"Ever since your grandmother brought you the pin she found in Tibet. I know, I know. But couldn't you put your responsibility aside for one evening? Leave your Miraculous at home."

Emilie smiled coyly. She leaned in and pressed her lips up to his ear and whispered, "No. But let me tell you what I'll do when we get back home tonight."

"Mmm," Gabriel said, grinning. "Why don't you keep that a surprise for me? Leave something to the imagination."

Emilie giggled. "If that's what you want..." She planted a kiss on his lips. "We should get going."

The evening was perfect. They had gone to the movies, and then gone for a stroll along the Seine afterward. As they stood side by side on the Ponts de Arts, looking out over the river, it happened: a distant cry for help.

Gabriel closed his eyes. "Do what you have to do, Emilie."

"If I'm not back in half an hour, go home without me," Emilie said, her voice low. "But do wait up for me—let that imagination of yours run wild." She kissed his cheek, and without another word, ran from his side.

She did not come back in half an hour. She never came back. Gabriel lay awake the whole night, waiting for her, trying to console himself with thoughts of _she always comes back, she always keeps her promises..._

But not this time.

Gabriel snapped himself back into the present, squeezing hot tears from his eyes. How he felt now didn't matter. None of this grief would matter. Not once he had claimed the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. Not once all of his plans had come to fruition.

All that stood in his way was Ladybug and Cat Noir.

* * *

Adrien woke up, stretching the stiffness out of his limbs. He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and yawned deeply. Immediately a horrible stench assaulted his nostrils. Adrien looked over, only to find that Plagg had seated himself on Adrien's shoulder to eat a wedge of camembert.

"Ugh! Plagg!" Adrien said, holding his nose. "Couldn't you eat that somewhere else?"

"I thought you might like to enjoy breakfast together," Plagg said. "I saved some for you..."

Adrien shook his head, unable to suppress a smile. "It's the thought that counts, I suppose." The smile faded. "Ugh...Plagg...what am I going to do? Father has my ring still, and I can't just keep breaking into his drawer to take it and then sneak it back in every time Paris needs me. Maybe I can just ask him if he's seen it."

Plagg swallowed a huge lump of camembert. "What? Don't do that. He might have your ring because he thinks you're Cat Noir. If that's the case, then asking him will only raise suspicion!"

Adrien blinked. "Wow, Plagg. I didn't expect you to care so much. You're usually so...non chalant about the whole thing."

"I can be serious when the situation calls for it. And I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing. I can't think of any good reason for your father to have your ring."

"Maybe he found it and is holding on to it for me, and forgot he has it?"

Plagg frowned. "That's optimistic."

"You think...he suspects?"

"It's possible. I don't know. But you must be careful, Adrien."

Adrien sighed. If _Plagg_ was telling him to be careful, then it must be serious. "Okay. I can be careful. I'll just see if I can wait it out. Or...something."

"That's the spirit! At least we know where it is."

Sighing, Adrien climbed out of bed and started to get ready for school. His thoughts drifted to Ladybug, and his newfound theory of who she might be behind the mysterious mask.

He went over the evidence in his mind. Ladybug and Marinette Dupain-Cheng both walked with a similar delicate stride and light-footedness—something he noticed because he himself had been coached on walking for his modeling. He had also never seen the two of them together at once. Finally, and most suspiciously, Ladybug had tried to kill the same man who had almost killed Marinette's father. Sure, she had claimed that it was only because it reminded her of the fact that her own father had been killed by a criminal, but if Adrien was honest with himself, it was something along the lines of a half-truth he might tell to avoid being discovered as Cat Noir. Not that he thought Ladybug was a liar—just trying to keep her secrets a secret.

A little pang of guilt shot through him. Was it fair for him to try to find out her secret when he knew she didn't want him to know?

He shook the thought away. If he could find out from observation that Marinette was Ladybug, then it was Marinette's mistake for not being more secretive.

 _...Right?_

 _Come on now, Adrien,_ he scolded himself. _She wouldn't want that._

 _But if the evidence is there..._

By the time he had finished readying himself for school, he decided that his best option would be to ignore Marinette as much as possible, so that he wouldn't accidentally discover if she happened to be Ladybug. He would still be polite to her, but he would avoid her otherwise. If Marinette did actually happen to be Ladybug— _which, in all honesty, how could clumsy Marinette really be Ladybug_ —she would appreciate him all the more for it if she ever did decide to reveal her identity to him. And if conclusive evidence emerged that Marinette was not Ladybug—such as her being akumatized, for example—well, then he could go back to being good friends with her.

 _It's too bad, really,_ Adrien thought. _I really like Marinette...even if she's a bit awkward._

* * *

Adrien found that he could not pay attention in class all day. All he could do was think of the black-haired girl sitting behind him, and wonder if she was the same person as strong, courageous, beautiful Ladybug. His eyes strayed to the clock nearly every five minutes. Finally, the day was almost over—only half a class period left.

"Ms. Bustier!" a voice screamed. "You think you can go on a date with me and just text me over lunch that you don't want to see me any more?"

The door to the classroom swung open. There in the doorframe stood a tall man who was clad from head to toe in blood-red armor.

"You were looking for someone more _chivalrous_? I am the Red Knight, and I am here to prove to you just how chivalrous I can be!"

"Pierre?" Ms. Bustier's face flushed bright red.

"Not anymore. Now, come with me!" He drew a long sword from his side.

"Never!"

With a cruel laugh, the Red Knight slashed his blade through the air. A fierce blast of energy shot through the air, tearing a massive hole in the classroom wall. "Then they will pay the price for your folly."

Ms. Bustier hung her head. "If I go with you, will you promise not to hurt my students?"

"No, Ms. Bustier!" Marinette cried. "Don't go with him!"

Ms. Bustier sighed. "I don't have a choice."

In horror, Adrien watched as the Red Knight led Ms. Bustier from the room.

"We can't let her go!" Alya said. "Come on, everyone!"

With a rallying shout, the class rose as one and stormed out of the classroom after the Red Knight and poor Ms. Bustier.

"Give me a sec," Adrien called after them. "I'm going to call the police!"

Once the last student was gone, Adrien ran to the hole in the wall and looked down. It was too high for him to survive the jump as himself, without the protection his suit afforded him. He would have to get down a different way.

An explosion sounded in the gym, as well as a chorus of screams.

"Just great," Adrien muttered. "What am I going to do now?"

Plagg flew out of his jacket and looked outside. "Look! A rain spout!"

"Wow, Plagg, I'm impressed," Adrien said. "Good eye."

"Don't sound so surprised," Plagg said, rolling his eyes.

Adrien jumped out of the hole in the wall, just barely grabbing on to the rain spout. He slid down it like a fire pole and the minute his feet hit the ground, he took off running for his house.

 _Let's just hope I can make it in time..._


	2. La Chevalerie est Morte

**Author's Note on Canonicity: My headcanon draws a lot from the Miraculous mythos, and I try to be as accurate to canon as possible. However, I wrote part one, Recompense, before Season 2 came out, so everything I've written is more or less canon with the first season—plus a few ideas of my own added in. Naturally, any fanfic turns into an AU as the series progresses, and I think that this is going to be a** _ **mostly**_ **canon AU.**

* * *

Heart racing, Marinette charged out of the classroom with the other students. Hawk Moth seemed to be choosing victims of a more dangerous caliber all of a sudden. First, her own mother had transformed into the vicious Recompense who murdered criminals as if judge, jury, and executioner. Now there was a dangerous stalker of some kind after Ms. Bustier—and a stalker could be deadly enough without superpowers.

"Kids! No!" shouted Ms. Bustier.

With a snarl, the Red Knight swung his sword again. A blast of red energy shot through the air, slicing the stairs in half and leaving the students trapped on the second level as the Red Knight dragged Ms. Bustier away. "Follow again, and I won't see fit to spare your pathetic lives!"

Marinette ran down the hall and ducked into the girl's restroom. She popped open her purse. "I'm thinking what you said about using a Miraculous for evil is true, Tikki. It does seem like Hawk Moth is sinking to new lows, even for him."

"Yes," Tikki said sadly. "The Moth Miraculous is corrupted by now, and it's corrupting its wielder with every day that goes by. It's only a matter of time until these truly ruthless villains become the norm."

"Well, I still need to use Lucky Charm for good nine more times before I've paid for my own misuse of a Miraculous," Marinette said. She thought back to how she had almost murdered the man who nearly killed her father and suppressed a shiver at the memory. If it hadn't been for Cat Noir, she might have entirely succumbed to the thirst for vengeance lurking inside her. "Let's save Ms. Bustier from that creep.

"Tikki, spots on! Yeah!"

Tikki vanished into Marinette's earrings, turning them from simple black studs into their signature ladybug design. The power of the transformation swept across her entire body, and in an instant, Marinette had become Ladybug.

She ran from the bathroom out into the hall, grateful that no one had noticed Marinette leaving. And, as a bonus, everyone's backs were turned to her as she emerged into the hall. _Ladybug's luck,_ she thought, a smile creeping onto her face.

She flung her yo-yo into the rafters of the school building and swung down on to the main level of the gym.

"Release her right now, Red Knight!" Marinette called.

"Ladybug!" the Red Knight snarled. "Come one step closer to me and I will _kill_ this wretched woman!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

The Red Knight released his hold on Ms. Bustier's wrist. She tried to get away, but not fast enough. In an instant, the Red Knight's hand was around her throat. He lifted her bodily from the ground, squeezing tightly. Ms. Bustier struggled and choked, desperately prying at his hand to no avail.

Panic surged through Marinette. Just because Miraculous Ladybug had brought people back from the dead last time was no reason to play fast and loose with people's lives this time around. Besides, if she failed the mission, and Ms. Bustier died, then that death would be very, very permanent. "Stop!"

"Why? Why should I?"

"She said she didn't want to see you again because you weren't chivalrous. How is this going to convince her otherwise?"

"Please, Ladybug. This isn't about convincing her otherwise. This is about showing that chivalry is... _dead!_ " He tightened his grip.

 _Where is Cat Noir?_ Marinette thought, her panic growing. _What am I supposed to do?_

"Don't follow me," the Red Knight said. He let go of Ms. Bustier's neck and she gasped for air. He seized her by the wrist again and began dragging her away once again. The school doors slammed shut behind them as they left.

"Lucky charm!" Marinette shouted, tossing her yo-yo up into the air. A swirl of magic congealed in the air above her, and down into her waiting hands fell a red and black-speckled object.

It was a first aid kit.

Marinette ran out of the school, holding the kit in hand. To her utter shock, she just found Ms. Bustier lying in a heap on the sidewalk, sobbing wildly. Marinette ran to her teacher's side. "Where did he go?"

"I—I—don't know. He said he'd be back to find me later. He was arguing with somebody who wasn't there, and then...just dropped me."

"Then we have to make sure that he can't find you. Come with me." Marinette slung the first aid kit bag over her should and helped Ms. Bustier to her feet. Dark bruises were all around the teacher's throat. Marinette gasped. "Are you terribly hurt?"

"Nothing that some time—and therapy—won't fix..."

"Okay. Still, we should get you to the hospital. They can hide you there."

Marinette felt slightly unnerved to whole way to the hospital. Why had the Red Knight run after arguing with himself about something?

A chill shot down her spine. _No,_ she thought, _he wasn't arguing with himself, he was arguing with Hawk Moth._

So what did Hawk Moth want the Red Knight to do?

Another chill. Cat Noir hadn't shown up yet. What if the Red Knight had gone after him?

Marinette shook her head, clearing away the thought. She only had five minutes to get Ms. Bustier to the hospital and contact Cat Noir. This was no time to let fear get the best of her.

Once she had safely brought Ms. Bustier to the hospital, Marinette hooked her yo-yo around a tree and used it to swing onto a nearby secluded rooftop. She slid the yo-yo apart and called Cat Noir, but all she got was his voicemail. "Come on, Cat Noir, I really need your help. Call me when you can. I'm going to sweep the city for Hawk Moth's latest villain."

Her earring beeped loudly, signaling that she was out of time. Tikki came spinning out of the Miraculous and the yo-yo vanished from Marinette's hand.

"That was a close one," Tikki said.

"Here, Tikki." Marinette reached into her purse and pulled out one of the cookies she always kept on hand. She handed the cookie to the little kwami. "How am I going to find this guy? Paris is huge, and I have no way of knowing where he's headed." She looked at the first aid kit in her hands, wondering what she should do with it. She opened it up and rummaged through the contents—gauze, bandages, ointment, and the like. But none of this seemed to fit her current needs. She zipped it back shut and slung it over her shoulder. "Why would the magic give me a first aid kit? It doesn't make sense to me."

Tikki shrugged as she ravenously ate the cookie.

Marinette's cell phone went off, startling her. "Oh no, it's mom!" She accepted the call. "Hey, Mom. What's going on?"

"Marinette, where are you? We saw what happened at the school. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

"I want you to come home right away, Marinette. Do you understand?"

Marinette bit back a groan of frustration. "Yes, Mom. I'll be there." She hung up the phone.

"But Marinette, the Red Knight!" Tikki said.

"I know—I'll go home, then go upstairs and watch the news to see if I can figure out where he went."

"How are you going to hide the Lucky Charm from your parents?"

"Uh...that's a good question. I'll, um...uh...hide it on the roof, then go back to ground level, change back, and then go inside, say hi to my parents, and go upstairs."

"That works. Let's hurry!"

"Ok. Ready to go?"

Tikki nodded.

"All right, let's go then! Tikki, spots on!"

Once transformed, Marinette raced across the rooftops of Paris until she reached the top of her parent's bakery. She landed on the rooftop lightly, hid the Lucky Charm behind one of the potted plants, and then swung down into the alley behind the bakery. "Spots off, Tikki."

In a flash of light, Marinette transformed back into her regular form. She ran around the building and burst in through the door. "Hi Mama, hi, Papa," she called, running past the shop and booking it toward the stairs. "I'm so exhausted, I'm going up to my room to de-stress—you have no idea how freaky school was today!"

"But Marinette—"

Marinette ignored her mother and ran up the stairs, climbed the ladder into her room, and shut the door in the floor. She immediately turned on the computer and went to the news channel's website.

" _No more new sightings of the villain have been reported,"_ Nadja Chamack said, _"but it's only a matter of time until this 'Red Knight' has been found and brought to justice."_

Marinette drummed her fingers on her desk. "Tikki, this is a disaster. I've lost a villain, and Cat Noir never called me back..."

The door opened. Tikki whisked behind the computer.

"Marinette," Sabine said, wearing a stern face. "Come down into the bakery, now. We need you to talk about your experience, honey. I don't want you bottling up your fear and becoming a villain yourself!"

"Mom, I'm not going to-"

"It's _not_ an option, Marinette."

"I'll be down in a minute..."

Sabine nodded, and closed the door behind her.

Marinette shook her head. "I'll figure out a way out of this somehow, Tikki. Come on, get in my purse..."

"I hope you figure it out fast," Tikki said. "The Red Knight could do a lot of damage!"

Sighing, Marinette climbed back down the ladder, thinking of excuses she could use to get back into her room again.

 _Let's just hope I can get out of this in time..._


	3. Le Papillon et le Chat

Gasping for breath, Adrien walked in the door of his mansion. Nathalie had buzzed him in, and she stood waiting at the top of the stairs.

"Adrien," she said, "what's the meaning of this? You're supposed to be at school."

"Sorry, Nathalie. There was a supervillain, and I thought it would be safest to come home. Can—can I talk to my Father?"

"He's not in his office right now."

"That's okay. I'll go wait for him."

Nathalie shrugged. "You'll be waiting a long time."

 _Waiting for my Father? There's nothing new,_ Adrien thought. He walked up the stairs and headed to the office. Once inside, he glanced behind him to make sure Nathalie hadn't followed. "Okay, Plagg, get the ring."

"Why do I have to do everything?" Plagg groaned.

Plagg flew into the desk drawer and a moment later, the drawer popped open. He came out holding the ring, acting as if it was unbearably heavy. He dropped it into Adrien's open palm, and Adrien slid it onto his ring finger.

"All right," Adrien said. "Let's get going. Plagg—"

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind Adrien. Wheeling around, his heart practically stopped.

His father was standing there.

"I've been waiting for you, Adrien," Gabriel said. "Are you going to introduce me to your little friend?"

"F—Father, I can explain!"

"No need to explain." Gabriel pointed at the ring. "I had wondered if you were Cat Noir ever since I first noticed your ring. It does seem awfully similar to Cat Noir's ring, does it not?" His gaze shifted to Plagg, who hovered beside Adrien's shoulder. "I see now that my suspicions were correct—and my son has been out risking his life for a city that doesn't deserve him."

Adrien clenched his fists. "Look, if I've got the power to help people, it's my responsibility to do it. I doubt you'd understand that—you think you're so much better than the rest of us!"

"Listen, Adrien. I need your Miraculous, and Ladybug's."

Adrien raised an eyebrow, and a twinge of fear shot through his stomach. He had only ever heard one person request the Miraculous before. But his father didn't seem to be akumatized. "No way. Fate chose me to be Cat Noir. I'm not giving you this ring."

"Fate? Fate is a cruel master. I seek to overcome fate. Adrien, if you give me the Miraculous, I can bring..." Gabriel faltered for a moment. "I can bring your mother back."

Adrien's mouth fell open. "Is that—is that why you had that book?"

"Ah. So you did take it. I had wondered." Gabriel shook his head. "No matter." He held out his hand. "Will you help me? Will you help me bring her back?"

Adrien thought of the last time his mother had held him, her warm arms encircling him with comfort when he was sad. He thought of how joyful his father had been. If she came back...how different would things be? He found himself loosening his ring. If all he had to do to get her back was give it to his father...

"Adrien, don't!" Plagg said. "You were entrusted with the ring for a reason! You don't understand what will happen when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are united."

"Don't listen to him," Gabriel said. "Listen to your heart, son. What does your heart tell you?"

Adrien's whole being cried out for his mother's embrace, for a whole family. The ring was nearly off his finger.

"Adrien!" Plagg cried, flying in front of Adrien's face. "Stop! You can't just betray Ladybug like this!"

 _Betray Ladybug?_

All of Adrien's dreams of being held by his mother shattered. He slid the ring back onto his finger. "I can't, Father. I can't bring you Ladybug's earrings. I can't give you this ring."

"If you won't give it to me willingly, there are other ways that I can take it," Gabriel said, a shadow coming over his mien. "I can take it from you when you are transformed, and it will be mine."

"Then I won't transform," Adrien said, crossing his arms.

"Or...I can take it from your dead body."

A chill shot down Adrien's spine. "F—Father?"

"You've already died once, and been brought back by the power of the Ladybug Miraculous. Your death will only be temporary. Once I have the Miraculous in my power, I will bring both you and your mother back from the dead. Adrien, we will be a family again." His expression softened. "Please, son. Don't make me do this. Help me take Ladybug's Miraculous. Give me yours."

Tears stung in Adrien's eyes. "And what if you kill me and can't get Ladybug's Miraculous, huh? What then?"

"For your mother's life? For absolute power? It's a risk I'm willing to take."

The tears spilled onto Adrien's cheeks, hot and stinging. "You know, I've often wondered if you really love me. I guess I know the answer now, don't I?"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Don't be childish. Just give me your Miraculous!"

"No. I guess you'll have to kill me first."

"If that's your choice." Gabriel ripped his scarf away from his neck, revealing a brooch underneath. "Nooroo, dark wings rise!"

Adrien's mouth fell open in horror as a flash of light engulfed his father's body. Dozens upon dozens of white butterflies filled the room, and there, standing before Adrien's very eyes...

 _Hawk Moth._

"Red Knight, come to me!" Hawk Moth shouted. "I don't care what you are doing, come to me or I shall strip you of your powers!" He turned his gaze back to Adrien. "One last chance, Adrien. Give me your ring."

Anger and betrayal shot through Adrien all at once. "Not a chance! Plagg, claws out!" A green flash of light filled the room as magic swept across Adrien's body, transforming him. Immediately, he grabbed his baton and extended it to quarter staff length.

Growling, Hawk Moth drew a sword from his cane and attacked with a vicious swing. Adrien blocked the blow, whirled his staff, and jabbed his father in the stomach. Hawk Moth stumbled back, then raised his sword and charged again. Adrien reacted to the motion with the instincts of a fencer, parrying and replying with a quick riposte.

"It's good to know all the money I've been spending on fencing lessons has paid off," Hawk Moth said. "But it won't save you." He let out a chilling laugh.

The sound of Nathalie screaming came from outside. Thundering footsteps and clanking armor resounded in the main hall.

 _The Red Knight!_

The door to Gabriel's office swung wide open as the Red Knight charged in.

"Red Knight! Seize Cat Noir's Miraculous!"

Snarling, the Red Knight slashed his blade through the air, and a slice of red energy shot toward Adrien. Adrien leaned back, dodging the shock wave and missing it by an inch. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. His father was running toward him from the side, sword raised. Hawk Moth leapt into the air and with an elaborate flip came falling down toward Adrien with his sword aimed straight for Adrien's heart. Gasping, Adrien did an aerial flip out of the way, only to find himself fencing with his father once again.

The Red Knight leapt through the air, landing behind Adrien and swinging his sword.

There was no time to react. The blade slashed across Adrien's back, slicing through the material of his suit as if it were nothing. But the suit still afforded some protection—the cut was shallow, but it stung ferociously. Adrien cried out in pain and fell to his knees. His father's sword swung over his head shaving off the very tips of Adrien's cat ears. Using his staff, Adrien pushed himself up from the floor and swiveled around the pole, landing a vicious kick on Hawk Moth's stomach. But Hawk Moth's sword slashed down at the same time, biting into Adrien's thigh. He fell to the floor, landing on his back with another jolt of pain. His father's sword came down again, stabbing deep into his stomach.

Adrien groaned in pain. "Father—Father—why?"

"Because you gave me no other choice!" He pulled his sword from Adrien's abdomen and raised it again; this time the blow would come down on Adrien's wrist, cutting his hand off and taking the Miraculous off with it. But before the strike could fall, Adrien extended his staff, caught Hawk Moth under the chin, and sent Hawk Moth flying across the room. The Red Knight's sword came falling down—Adrien rolled to the side, just barely avoiding the blow.

"Cataclysm!"

Adrien brought his charged hand down on the floor beneath the Red Knight's feet. The floor split open and the Red Knight fell through, caught only by his arms. He struggled to pull himself up, but it was to no avail.

"That was foolish, Adrien," Hawk Moth said. "Now you have five minutes to defeat me—and I don't see your friend Ladybug anywhere."

Dizzy with pain and blood loss, Adrien staggered to his feet. "Yeah, well, now it's just you and me again."

"Adrien, please. I'm begging you. Don't make me do this. Just give me your Miraculous. Please—I don't _want_ to hurt you."

"Yeah? You could've fooled me!" Whirling his staff, Adrien charged his father, ignoring the searing pain in his back and stomach. He struck Hawk Moth on the side of the head, then swept his feet under Hawk Moth's, knocking his legs out beneath him. Hawk Moth tumbled to the floor.

Clutching at his stomach, Adrien ran from his father's office. He ran as fast as he could, trying to ignore the dizziness. He flipped his baton open, calling Ladybug, but she didn't answer.

"Ladybug—I'm in bad trouble—I found out who Hawk Moth is—"

With a snarl, Hawk Moth did an aerial flip and jumped over Adrien's head, landing right in front of him. He struck an offensive pose, holding his sword at the ready.

"Last chance, _Cat Noir._ " Hawk Moth's tone was mocking.

"I think you mean it's _your_ last chance." Adrien flipped his baton shut, extended it to staff length, and charged his father with a mighty swing. Hawk Moth tried to dodge, but too late. The staff crashed into the side of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Now nearly panting with pain, Adrien ran out of the mansion, wondering what to do now. Where could he go?

 _Marinette..._

Even if Marinette wasn't Ladybug, it would be a safe place to hide. And surely Marinette could find a way of contacting Ladybug somehow, perhaps by telling Alya to put a notice on the Ladyblog.

Nearly ready to faint, he extended his staff and vaulted up onto the rooftops, hoping he would make it before he passed out.


	4. Remords sans Repentance

Gabriel pushed himself up from the ground. His head throbbed with pain. He looked at the floor in front of him, only to see a trail of blood leading away and out the doors.

Panic shot through him. _Adrien! What have I done?_

Gabriel climbed to his feet. It wasn't supposed to have gone this way. He had hoped Adrien would give him the ring willingly. He had hoped he would be able to take it from Adrien without seriously injuring the boy. But from the moment Gabriel had transformed into Hawk Moth, all he could think was violence—and doing whatever it took to obtain the Miraculous, regardless of the price.

And now, because of that, the likelihood of Adrien bleeding out before he could get help was high. Gabriel had underestimated his son's fighting abilities, thinking that without Ladybug's aid, Cat Noir would be easily defeated.

But he had been wrong.

And now, Adrien might die, and the location of the Cat Miraculous along with him.

Adrien would be gone forever, gone just like Emilie.

The thought nearly brought Gabriel to his knees with grief. Why? Why had he become so violent? What had possessed him to risk his son's life? To attack his own precious boy?

"Dark wings fall," he whispered, and transformed back into himself.

"Master," Nooroo's soft squeaky voice said. "Master, are you hurt?"

"Nooroo...what—what is _happening_ to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I nearly killed my own son. For all I know, I succeeded. My own _son_!"

"I have often warned you, Master. If you corrupt the purpose of a Miraculous, it corrupts you in turn. You have done this to yourself."

"All—all I ever wanted was to bring her back," Gabriel said, stifling a sob.

"Perhaps you can save Adrien, Master. Find a way to contact Ladybug. Bring her here to defeat the Red Knight. Once she has done so, she can work her magic, and perhaps it will save Adrien again."

"Ladybug? Yes, of course...and perhaps I can find a way to take her Miraculous, too. Adrien will rush to her aid and I'll have a second chance to take his Miraculous!"

"Please, Master. Listen to yourself. Do you hear what you are saying? You must stop this. You have to accept...you have to accept that she's gone."

Gabriel let out a snarl. "I'll _never_ accept that. Not as long as the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous exist. Not as long as that absolute power is in my reach."

"So you're willing to hurt Adrien again?"

"If that's what it takes—"

Nooroo shook his head. "Then Adrien was right. You don't love him, do you?"

"I _do_ love my son! Don't pretend you understand any of this, Nooroo!"

"I understand your abuse of the Miraculous has corrupted you. But you can stop it. You must renounce me, Master, and find a Guardian to purge the Miraculous of its evil!"

"Renounce you? No! Not as long as there is hope I can obtain—"

"Mr. Agreste?"

Nooroo disappeared beneath Gabriel's lapel in a flash. Gabriel wheeled around to find Nathalie lying in a heap on the floor, covered in bruises. If Gabriel remembered correctly, the Red Knigt had attacked her, knocking her unconscious and throwing her aside like a rag doll. Fortunately, it appeared she had been unconscious for all of his conversation with Nooroo.

"Are you hurt, Nathalie?"

"Yes, I-"

"Then go to the hospital. I'm going to see if I can find a way for Ladybug to help us."

"What about Adrien? Where is he?"

A pang of guilt shot through Gabriel's stomach. _None of it matters,_ he told himself. _Not once I have the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. Then I will make amends for all my mistakes._

 _All of them._

"I'll find him. Go to the hospital."

Nodding, Nathalie unsteadily took out her phone and called a taxi.

Gabriel turned his back on her and went straight back to his office. He winced from the bruises Adrien had given him. He arrived in his office, only to find the Red Knight was still trapped in the broken floor. He took out his personal phone and called the local news station.

"Quickly," Gabriel said, pretending to be panicked. "You must alert Ladybug that the villain is at my house."

Once he had hung up, he slumped into his chair, ignoring the Red Knight's angry roars. Gabriel sighed as he re-tied his scarf.

Was Nooroo right?

 _No. None of it matters._

 _None of it._

* * *

After a lengthy discussion with her parents, Marinette was finally released from their endless questioning and counseling. It made sense that they were worried about her, considering that her mother had been akumatized only a day before, but still—every second ticked by like hours when Marinette thought of the fact that the Red Knight could still be out there.

Once inside her room, she popped open her purse. "Okay, Tikki," Marinette said. "It's time to transform. Spots—"

A large thud on the roof interrupted her. She practically jumped out of her shoes. "What's that?" Hesitantly, she pushed open the door in the ceiling and peeked out onto the small patio. "H—hello?"

Nothing answered her. She climbed the rest of the way up and looked out over the city. _Huh. Maybe it was nothing..._

"M—Marinette..."

Marinette stifled a scream and wheeled around. In the shadows off to the side, a dark figure lay sprawled on the ground. Marinette turned on the flashlight on her phone and held it up.

It was Cat Noir.

"Cat Noir? What are you doing here?"

"Listen...Marinette...I need you to find Ladybug. I'm hurt and I can't...can't..." Cat Noir's head fell down and he was still.

Heart racing, Marinette knelt down beside him. She gasped at the gaping hole in his suit and the warm sticky blood pouring from the wound in his stomach. "Cat Noir! Wake up!"

He didn't move.

"Oh, no, Tikki, what do I do?"

"The first aid kit, Marinette!" Tikki said. "Quickly!"

Marinette ran to the potted plant she had hidden the first aid kit behind and retrieved the red and black-speckled bag. She opened it up. "Do you think this will really help? I don't even know what kind of ointment this is." Cat Noir's ring beeped loudly. Marinette glanced over and saw that there was only one toe pad flashing. "Tikki—go get a pillowcase, now!"

"Why?" Tikki squeaked.

"I can't know his secret identity, and he's about to change back. We'll just put it over his head while I'm treating him, and then I'll take him to Master Fu right away."

Tikki nodded, then whisked away through the door down into Marinette's room. Marinette took off her jacket and pressed it against the bleeding wound in Cat Noir's abdomen, applying as much pressure as she could. She had never treated wounds before—she had only seen it done in movies. Tikki reappeared with a pillowcase, and Marinette promptly put it over Cat Noir's head. Not a second later, there was a flash of green light and Cat Noir's suit was gone, replaced by a t-shirt, jeans, and white jacket. Something in the back of Marinette's mind recognized the outfit, but she was too panicked to place it. All she could think of was the very real possibility of her friend dying.

"Hand me the ointment now," Marinette said, trying to keep her fear under control. Once Tikki brought the ointment over, Marinette squeezed a generous portion onto his stomach wound. She reached into the bag for a gauze pad, pressed it down, and then wrapped bandages around Cat Noir's torso. "Oh, Tikki, I don't think it'll be enough."

"Then hurry, we have to get to Master Fu!"

"You're right. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

 **Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the story! I'd love to know if you're enjoying it (or not)...just let me know in the reviews!**


	5. Le Papillon et la Coccinelle

Marinette stood in the main room of Master Fu's wholistic medicine office. The old man had taken Cat Noir into another room and slid the door shut, and had not come out in fifteen minutes. She longed to de-transform so she could talk to Tikki; standing here alone waiting for Master Fu to return with news of Cat Noir was like torture. For the fifth time since she had transformed into Ladybug, her yo-yo beeped at her. She pulled it from her hip and slid it apart, only to hear Cat Noir's voice.

" _Ladybug—I'm in bad trouble—I found out who Hawk Moth is—"_

Cat Noir's voice was interrupted by a deep, chilling one.

" _Last chance, Cat Noir."_

Then the message stopped.

Marinette's heart raced. Hawk Moth? Cat Noir had fought _Hawk Moth himself?_ That must have been why the Red Knight had simply left Ms. Bustier alone—Hawk Moth must have called for backup. That meant that the Red Knight and Hawk Moth were in the same place, most likely, and if she was going to stop the Red Knight, she too would have to fight Hawk Moth. Only...

She wouldn't have Cat Noir at her side.

"Ladybug?"

Marinette nearly jumped out of her suit at the sound of Master Fu's voice. "Master Fu, you startled me. How is Cat Noir?"

"I have stabilized him, but only Miraculous Ladybug can save him. He has too much internal bleeding."

"Then I have to find the Red Knight," Marinette said. She found herself shrinking internally at the thought. "But...Master Fu, listen to this..." She took her yo-yo and played Cat Noir's message.

Master Fu's eyebrows raised. "So Hawk Moth has been discovered."

"But I don't know where he is, or where the Red Knight is."

"Perhaps we have someone who can help us. Plagg? Plagg, you must come out here."

A little black cat-like Kwami swooped into the room. "You know very well I only have to answer to the holder of my Miraculous, Master Fu."

"Yes, and as he is indisposed and quite possibly dying, perhaps you'll see fit to help us save him, you lazy cat."

Plagg's ears drooped. "What do you need?"

"Where is the Red Knight?" Marinette asked. "And who is Hawk Moth?"

"The Red Knight? Oh, we trapped him in the floor of Gabriel Agreste's personal office."

Marinette's heart raced a little faster. "Did the two of you happen to see if Adrien was hurt or not?"

"Uh...well..."

"Master Fu interrupted. "Cat Noir said that you discovered who Hawk Moth is."

"Yeah. About that. It's Gabriel."

" _What?"_ Marinette shouted. "No! No way Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth."

"Saw it with my own two eyes, Ladybug," Plagg said, folding his little arms. "Now, my friend is in there slowly dying, so if you could hurry up and 'Ladybug' a way out of this, that would be great."

"He's my friend too, you know," Marinette snapped. "I don't want him to die. I just...I don't know what to do! How can I face Hawk Moth alone?"

"For now, all you must do is defeat the Red Knight and purify the akuma."

Marinette clenched her fists. "You're right, Master Fu. I need to take this one step at a time, just like a physics exam. I can't do it all at once—and I need to problem solve. Once I've saved Cat Noir, we can focus on Hawk Moth." She picked up the Lucky Charm first aid kit she had brought with her and slung it over her shoulder.

With that, she spun on her heel and ran from Master Fu's place, running across the city with all her might toward the Agreste mansion. Something in the back of her mind still nagged her about how familiar Cat Noir's clothes had seemed, but she still didn't have time to think about that or place it. Not when she was going to face Hawk Moth himself. She tried to stay focused on the task at hand.

Cat Noir's life depended on it.

She finally arrived at the mansion, and her palms were tingly and sweaty inside her suit. She flung her yo-yo high and caught one of the gables on the roof, then swung up to the second story window of Gabriel's office and peeked in. Sure enough, the Red Knight was caught in the floor. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. She slid the window open, finding it just a little suspicious that it was unlocked. All of her instinct clamored that this was a trap, and the trap had been set for her. Slowly, she crept into the room. The Red Knight's back was to her, so he didn't see her. But his sword lay on the floor next to him, just outside his reach.

 _That must be where his akuma is,_ Marinette thought. _But I'll bet the minute I touch it, Hawk Moth shows up._ She backed up slowly until she was at the window again. She flung her yo-yo out to snatch the sword and reeled it back in one smooth motion. The Red Knight let out a roar, but nothing more happened. Quickly, Marinette snapped the sword in two, and a little black butterfly flapped out.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma," she said, drawing a line across her yo-yo. The yo-yo split open to reveal the blinding white light inside, and Marinette swung it through the air to capture the fleeing akuma. "I'm freeing you of evil!" Moments later, a white butterfly popped out and flapped away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," Marinette whispered. "Now...where is your twisted master, hmm?"

"An excellent question," a deep voice thundered through the room. Immediately, all the windows slid shut with solid metal sheets blocking them. A cloud of white butterflies emerged through the doorway, preceding a tall, dark figure.

"Hawk Moth," Marinette said, gritting her teeth. "I knew you'd be close by, _Gabriel Agreste._ "

"So Cat Noir has indeed survived, has he?"

"Long enough to tell me who you are. But thanks to you, he doesn't have a lot of time left."

"Then by all means, please correct the problem." Hawk Moth pointed to the first aid kit on Marinette's shoulder. "If he dies, how will I find his Miraculous?"

Marinette hesitated. It was too easy. "Just what are you playing at? Am I supposed to believe you _want_ Cat Noir to live?"

"I don't expect you to understand _anything_ I want, Ladybug. If you are anything like Cat Noir, then you are foolish and naive. Suffice it to say that I can see no way to obtain Cat Noir's ring unless you bring him back and he comes to your aid." Hawk Moth smiled. "And the oh-so-compassionate Lady will bring her friend back. For once, we are united in our goal."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. She tossed the first aid kit into the air. _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

No sooner than the kit had left her hand, Hawk Moth charged. He drew a sword from the long, dome-topped cane he carried at his side, and swung it ferociously at her. Spinning her yo-yo, she deflected the blow.

Even as the pink and red magic swirled around the office, repairing all the damage done, Marinette and Hawk Moth fought. He dodged to the side as her yo-yo flew toward his head. Snarling, he grabbed the string. Marinette smirked and pulled back, yanking him forward and laughing as he tumbled to the ground. He was back on his feet in an instant, slashing with his sword. Marinette couldn't dodge in time; the very tip of the blade slashed through her suit across her shoulder. She let out a yelp.

"Give me your earrings, or I'll cut them off of you!" Hawk Moth snarled.

"Not a chance, Hawk Moth! Why don't you give me _your_ Miraculous instead?" Marinette flipped away to the far corner of Gabriel's office, and launched her yo-yo high into the air above her head. " _Lucky Charm!"_

Magic swirled through the air and congealed into a spray can that fell into Marinette's waiting hands. "Wait—is this—is this _bug spray?_ "

Hawk Moth laughed. "If you think insect repellent is going to weaken me, then you are very much mistaken, Ladybug."

Marinette scanned the room, thinking quickly. She glanced down at the can, and noticed a warning in bold letters: IRRITANT: KEEP OUT OF EYES. She smirked. "And what if I'm not?" She flung her yo-yo into the light fixture and ran up along the wall, swinging in a circle around Hawk Moth. He slashed his sword, but its blade could not sever the cord of her magical yo-yo. She swung right in front of his face and depressed the top of the insect repellent, spraying it point-blank into his eyes. He let out a roar and dropped his sword, instinctively reaching for his face. Marinette released the yo-yo from the light fixture and dropped to the ground, then flung the yo-yo around Hawk Moth, pinning his arms to his sides. She reached out to take his Miraculous...

He bashed his head forward, his forehead crashing into hers. The blow sent her back, making her eyes water and her vision blur. Hawk Moth landed a high kick on her chest, and sent her flying across the room where the back of her head slammed into a wall. An intense wave of dizziness flew through her.

Before she could even react, Hawk Moth had somehow wormed his way free of her yo-yo. Her heart jumped when she saw that he held it in his hand now.

"I have your yo-yo, Ladybug. You're helpless. Now give me your Miraculous."

Marinette tried to think. Hawk Moth was squinting. That meant he couldn't see very well because of the insect repellent. Of course, she was having trouble seeing straight, too. But as she scanned the room again, she saw a remote lying on the floor—the remote that operated the windows. She broke into a run, diving for it. Hawk Moth swung the yo-yo toward her, but she grabbed it in her open palm and ripped it from his grasp. Her other hand found the remote and deactivated the security system. Hawk Moth snarled, running at her. She leapt aside, but his cane swung into the side of her head so hard that it made stars flash in front of her eyes.

It was time to go. There was no way she could defeat him alone. She smashed her yo-yo down on the dropped can of insect repellent, which exploded in a cloud of fog. Using the fog as a smoke screen, she ran for the window and leapt out through it. She landed on the pavement below with a roll, but the intense dizziness in her head made her throw up.

Gasping, she ran back across the city, feeling dizzier and sleepier every step of the way. By the time she got to Master Fu's place, she could hardly keep her eyes open. She de-transformed nearly the second she stepped inside, and Tikki came spinning out of her earrings.

"Master Fu..." Marinette called. "I—I don't feel good...I think...concussion..."

With that, she fell to the floor, with one thought drifting through her mind.

 _Those clothes...those clothes Cat Noir wore...they were...they belonged to..._

She blacked out, and knew nothing more.


	6. Je te renoncé

Slowly, Marinette opened her eyes. Her head throbbed with pain. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was at Master Fu's place, but she had no memory of having arrived here at any point.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Tikki said, her voice squeaky with delight. "I knew Master Fu's aromatherapy would work. How do you feel?"

"Tikki…how did we get here?"

Tikki's antennae drooped. "You…don't remember?"

"No. The last thing I remember is…well…we were going to try to find the Red Knight."

"You don't remember anything after that?"

Marinette shook her head and immediately regretted it. A wave of dizziness went through her.

"Lie back down and be still," Master Fu said, walking into the room. "You have a fairly severe concussion."

"Concussion? How did that happen?"

"You fought against Hawk Moth himself."

Marinette's jaw fell open. "You're joking."

"No. I would do nothing of the sort. I feared from your aura when you returned that your concussion would be severe enough to damage your memory. Fortunately, it looks as though no more than half an hour or so is missing."

"You…can tell all that from my _aura_?"

Master Fu nodded. "Oh, yes. I can sense auras very powerfully. When you're as old as I am and as deep in the healing arts, you learn a lot of things."

Marinette lay back down on the floor and closed her eyes. "I can't remember a thing…except maybe…there was a sound on the roof of my bedroom."

"That was Cat Noir," Tikki said. "He was badly, badly hurt. He learned who Hawk Moth was and fought him, then came to your place and asked you to contact Ladybug for him."

"We know who Hawk Moth is?"

"Yes." Master Fu sighed. "He is…I fear you may not like this news, Marinette. He is Gabriel Agreste."

"You're joking!" Marinette sat up again. "Oh, no! What about Adrien? Is he okay?" She clenched her fists. "Some of the villains have hurt Adrien, and Mr. Agreste let that happen? What a terrible father! We have to go save Adrien, now!"

"That would be brash and foolish," Master Fu said. "If you go to the Agreste mansion again, he will surely be waiting for you. You barely survived this time."

"But what about Cat Noir? Is he okay?"

"Cat Noir is fine, thanks to you. He's in the other room sleeping right now."

"Then when he wakes up, we can go rescue Adrien together! Hawk Moth wouldn't stand a chance against both of us."

"The timing is not right. You see…Hawk Moth has also discovered Cat Noir's secret identity."

Marinette gasped. "Oh, no…"

"And so, while you have been resting, Cat Noir and I have decided the best course of action, both to protect him and the Cat Miraculous for the time being."

"What is that?"

"I will let him explain. I will go wake him. In the meantime, you should transform. We must still keep your identities a secret from each other—for the time being."

Marinette nodded. "I understand, Master Fu."

Once Master Fu had left the room, Marinette climbed to her feet. For one unsteady moment, she thought she was going to fall, but then she caught her balance again.

"Okay, Tikki, spots on."

* * *

Adrien lay on the mat on the floor, looking sadly at the silver ring on his finger. It meant so much more than the ability to fight evil. It meant freedom. It meant his connection with Ladybug. When it was charged with energy, gleaming with the bright green cat paw print, he felt as though he could do anything. And as annoying as Plagg could be, he had quickly secured a place in Adrien's heart as one of his dearest friends.

Did he really want to go through with this?

The door slid open and Master Fu walked in, a grave expression on his face. "Are you still prepared to make this decision?"

"Yes," Adrien said. "I think it's the only shot I have at reaching my father. I think it's probably the only way for now."

"Very well. It is time for you to transform one last time and go speak to Ladybug."

Adrien closed his eyes. When he opened them, Plagg hovered only a few inches from his face, little shining beads of water in the corner of his bright green eyes.

"I didn't know Kwamis could cry," Adrien said softly.

"I'm not crying," Plagg said defiantly. He sniffed loudly.

"Well…I guess it's time."

"I guess so."

"Plagg, claws out."

In a spin, the ring sucked Plagg in and a wave of green energy engulfed Adrien. Moments later, he found himself in the suit that allowed him to do so many things. _One last time,_ he thought. _This will be the hardest thing I've ever done._

"Are you ready?" Master Fu said.

Adrien nodded.

"Then let us go speak with Ladybug." Master Fu slid the partition open, revealing Ladybug waiting in the other room. Adrien drew a breath and walked up to her.

"Cat Noir, I'm so glad you're okay," Ladybug said, offering him a smile. "I forgot what happened because of a concussion, but it sounded like you were in a tight spot."

A wave of anger shot through Adrien. His father had hurt Ladybug. "Yeah, well, thanks to you, I'm all right now."

"How on earth did Hawk Moth find out your identity?"

Adrien hung his head. "It's complicated. I can't really explain. But I know what I have to do. Since Hawk Moth knows who I am, the only way to protect the Cat Miraculous is…is for me to renounce it."

Ladybug's eyes flew wide. "Renounce it? You mean…give it up?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"But Cat Noir—I can't do this without you! I _need_ you! You're my partner!" Ladybug's eyes began to glisten with moisture. "You're my _friend._ I don't _want_ a different Cat Noir."

"If everything goes according to plan…I'll take up the Miraculous again at some point."

"At some point? But I need you now! I can't fight Hawk Moth alone."

"I'll still be fighting him," Adrien said. "Just…in a different way. Besides…you can manage to fight the Akumas on your own. I know you can. You're powerful enough for the both of us."

"How will I defeat Hawk Moth without you?"

"Well…there's somebody who might be able to help you. You know Gabriel's son Adrien, right?"

"Of course I do. Gabriel has been a terrible father to him, allowing the Akumas to threaten his son like that."

Adrien's heart sank for a moment, but then he steeled his resolve. "There might be a chance you could get him on your side, and ask him to help you. But the timing has to be perfect. You need to stay away from the Agreste Mansion for a while—Hawk Moth will probably have it on pretty tight lockdown."

"So I do what in the meantime?"

"You fight the Akumas. Keep up the status quo. It's the best we can do."

"But…Cat Noir…"

"I've talked it over with Master Fu. He'll let us know when the timing is right. We'll get this figured out, Bugaboo."

Ladybug ran up to Adrien and threw her arms around him. "You have to promise me you'll come back. I'll miss you, Cat Noir."

"I promise, Milady." Adrien tried to put on what he hoped was a smile. The truth was he didn't know if it was a promise he could keep. But if Ladybug was waiting for him, he would cross earth and heaven to come back to her. Someday, they would defeat Hawk Moth. Someday, everything would be right again.

But for now, this was the way it had to be.

"You should go home now, Ladybug," Master Fu said. "I will give you a healing infusion to keep you steady on the way. Your concussion will be better by morning, but I don't think the memories you lost will come back to you. Come and see me again tomorrow, when you can." He held up a cup of sparkling liquid.

"Yes, Master Fu," Ladybug said, still not letting go of Adrien. After a few more moments, she released him from the embrace. "Come back to me, Cat Noir."

Adrien found he was too choked to do anything but nod.

With that, Ladybug drank the infusion, gave Adrien one last sad look, and left the building.

Several moments passed.

"Are you ready, Adrien?" Master Fu asked.

Adrien closed his eyes. "Plagg, claws in."

In a flash of light, Adrien was himself again.

Plagg floated in the air, sniffing loudly. "I'll miss you, Adrien."

Adrien let out a chuckle. "You'll miss camembert."

"Well, that too."

Adrien slipped the ring off his finger, expecting Plagg to disappear immediately. But the little cat Kwami remained, staring at Adrien sadly. Adrien realized what had to happen. He didn't really want to give up the ring. So he had to say it. He had to say what Master Fu had told him to say. He had to reject Plagg entirely.

Adrien's eyes stung. "Plagg…I…renounce you."

With that, Plagg disappeared into the ring, turning it shiny black with a bright green paw print. Adrien handed the ring to Master Fu.

 _Well…I guess I'd better go home, then…_

* * *

 **Author's note: If you like my style of writing, you might enjoy the original fantasy novel I have published. You can go to my profile bio for more info as well as find a link to read the first chapter of my novel. Please check it out, if you're interested!  
**


	7. Solitude et Tristesse

Adrien stood in the alley a few blocks away from his house, trying to swallow back the dread that threatened to make him nauseous. His father would be waiting for him—the same father who had only a few hours ago tried to kill his only son. He thought back to Master Fu's place, when he sat in the old Chinese man's candlelit room discussing what to do.

"I think I know what happened, then," Adrien had said, after Master Fu explained how using a Miraculous for evil might have corrupted his father's heart. "If he just started out wanting to bring Mother back…and then that consumed him entirely…"

"The road to hell is more often than not paved with good intentions," Master Fu had replied. "His desire for a good thing overcame him, and he fell into evil as a result. But you must understand something, Adrien—as tempted as you may be to see if combining the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous together could bring back your mother, you cannot. You see, the Miraculous keep the world in balance. Every action has a reaction. If Hawk Moth had succeeded in bringing your mother back, the universe would be out of balance. Somebody would have to lose someone to keep that balance in place."

"Do you think he knows that?" Adrien frowned. "Do you think…he even cares?"

"I think that he is beyond caring at this point. Only you can help him to care again."

"Me? How?"

"Even evil cannot wipe away the love a father has for a son."

"You're assuming he loved me to begin with. Which I'm kind of starting to doubt."

Master Fu smiled. "But tell me, Adrien. Do _you_ love your father?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Adrien said. "He's a jerk. And I just found out he's willing to kill me to get Mother back, and he's willing to sacrifice somebody else's life too."

"Those things are beside the point. Only love can drive out evil. And evil is what has taken hold in your father's heart. If you wish to save your father and rid the world of Hawk Moth, you must do the most daring act of all, Adrien. You must love your enemy."

"So…love conquers all, or something dumb like that? I don't think you know my father very well."

Master Fu chuckled. "Perhaps _you_ don't know your father very well."

Frowning, Adrien stood up. "Probably not. Because he's shut himself away for years. Because he never _talks_ to me. Because he doesn't _love_ me."

"Hmm. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I do not know. But ask yourself this: if you could spare your father the indignity of prison, save him from his grief, and cleanse him from evil, would you?"

Adrien had thought long and hard when Master Fu had asked that question. Even though he had already decided on a course of action, as Adrien stood in the alleyway he found himself _still_ pondering that question. Maybe Gabriel deserved prison. Maybe he deserved to be lost in grief, since he wasn't willing to reach out. Maybe he deserved to have evil overtake him.

But if he was honest, Adrien wanted none of those things. He just wanted his father. That was it.

And so he had decided to give up his Miraculous so that he could reach his father. And then, when the time was right, he'd find a way to put an end to all of this.

He would bring his father back.

Somehow.

Adrien drew a steadying breath and ran the rest of the way to his father's mansion. When he reached the door, he was startled to find that Nathalie was not there to buzz him in. He rang the bell multiple times, and nobody answered. A chill shot down his spine. Had his father hurt Nathalie? He pondered for a moment how he was going to make it back inside. If he could transform…

His heart sank. He could not transform. That part of his life was gone for now. He wondered if he'd ever be able to get it back.

The gate buzzed and swung open.

Adrien swallowed. Who was it that let him in? Did Hawk Moth wait for him on the other side of the door?

Biting back his fear, he strode through the open gate and up to the door of the mansion. He put his hand on the doorknob, braced himself, and walked in.

The hall was empty and dark. Clearly, Miraculous Ladybug had done its work; there was no sign whatsoever of any damage, and the place was immaculate as ever. Adrien took step after cautious step inside, letting the door close behind him.

"I have to admit, I did not expect to see you again." Gabriel's deep voice echoed through the hall.

A surge of anger boiled up inside Adrien. "Disappointed?"

"Quite the opposite." Gabriel emerged from the shadows. "Have you come to reason and decided to give up your Miraculous?"

"Oh, I gave up my Miraculous," Adrien said. He held up his empty hand. "But not to you. Not ever."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "You must be joking."

"No. I renounced my Kwami. You'll never find the Cat Miraculous."

"So you abandoned your friend Ladybug? I thought better of you, Adrien."

"And I used to think better of you," Adrien said, "but I guess we were both wrong, weren't we?"

"Please. Your childishness knows no bounds. I wouldn't expect you to understand any of the reasons behind my actions."

"What? I wouldn't understand grief? I lost Mother too, you know!"

"Losing a parent is not the same as losing a spouse!" Gabriel snarled.

"So…what, your grief is more important than mine?" Adrien clenched his fists. "You might have lost your wife, but I lost _both_ of my parents when she disappeared. Now, unless you're going to transform and try to kill me again, I'm going to my room."

"Ladybug will fail without you," Gabriel said. "And before you get any ideas about helping her anyway, know this: you will not be going back to school. I will be putting bars on the windows of your room. You will _never_ leave that room again, for any reason."

"Not even the fashion shoots that make you so much money?" Adrien twisted the words with as much sarcasm as he could.

"Not even those."

"Good. I hate doing them, anyway." Adrien climbed the staircase and headed to his room. When he got there, he slammed the door behind him. "Wow. Can you believe I said those things, Plagg?"

Only silence answered him. Adrien's heart sank. "Oh. Right."

He lay down on his bed, wondering just how he was going to pull this off.

* * *

Marinette collapsed onto her bed, sobbing. "Oh, Tikki, how am I going to do this without Cat Noir?"

Tikki gently patted Marinette on the head. "It'll be the hardest thing you've ever done, that's for sure. But I know you can do it."

"I'm not strong enough alone." Marinette smeared a tear away. "What in the world am I going to do?"

"You should sleep for now, while you can. I have a funny feeling Hawk Moth is going to stir up another villain pretty soon. Plus you need to recover from that concussion."

"I can't believe how much I forgot. I feel like there was something really important…about Cat Noir being hurt…something I recognized…but now I can't even think of it. And to have completely forgotten my fight with Hawk Moth? It's incredible. I wish I remembered."

"Maybe it's best you don't," Tikki said.

"Maybe so."

As Marinette lay in her bed trying to sleep, she could not stop thinking about all the good times she'd had with Cat Noir. He was so goofy and light-hearted all the time, and his puns were ridiculous…but he was a true friend. He had forgiven her instantly when she had misused her Lucky Charm. He supported her no matter what.

And now that was gone. It left her empty and aching in a way she hadn't expected. Of course, she never expected to lose Cat Noir. She had taken him completely for granted. She thought of his flirtatiousness, and wondered if it was just him being silly, or if he really meant it. And if he did really mean it…

The thought stirred something inside of her. If he really had feelings for her, and he was gone…

 _No,_ Marinette told herself. _I have Adrien. It doesn't matter if Cat Noir has feelings for me…_

 _Right?_

Finally, after hours of restlessness, Marinette fell into a deep sleep.


	8. Une Histoire

**AN: I'm kind of getting into my own version of the lore in this chapter, and so it's gonna be a little AU up in here. Just as a heads-up.**

* * *

Gabriel paced back and forth in front of the windows in his office. He had been unable to sleep all night long. To think that the Cat Miraculous had been within his reach, only to have that disrespectful boy of his renounce it and hide it somewhere, made his blood boil.

But it raised the question: How had Adrien gotten the Cat Miraculous in the first place? Gabriel himself had scoured through ruined temples in Tibet looking for the Moth Miraculous, and Emilie had received her Peacock Miraculous from her grandmother—who had also found it in Tibet. But Adrien had never been abroad. Somebody had to have given him the ring, plain and simple.

"Nooroo," Gabriel said. "You mentioned that to cleanse the Moth Miraculous of evil, I would have to take it to a Guardian."

"Yes," Nooroo said, a note of hopefulness in his voice, "or Ladybug could purify the Moth Miraculous."

"Then a Guardian must be here in Paris," Gabriel said. "That's how Adrien got his ring. And that's who he must have given it back to. So I have hope—I just have to find this Guardian. But how…how can I do so? There's no way Adrien would tell me…unless…yes. I could tell him I am sorry. That I have repented. I could ask him to take me to the Guardian so the Guardian can cleanse my Miraculous…and when Adrien does, I'll transform and seize the Cat Miraculous by force. I'll take all the Miraculous by force! I shall have my own army to fight against Ladybug, and—"

Nooroo scoffed. "Adrien won't believe you."

"What was that, you impudent insect?"

Nooroo folded his tiny arms. "You can't lie to someone like your son. He'll see right through it. Somebody as honest as he is can spot lies. And you've given him absolutely no reason to trust you."

"Then I'll give him a reason to trust me," Gabriel said. "I'll tell him the truth about his mother."

* * *

Adrien lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had forgotten how lonely he was before he had Plagg, and the thought of not being able to go back to school made him feel even worse. He was alone again. Worse than alone.

It was the worst he'd felt since losing his mother all those years ago.

But there was a glimmer of hope. He'd told Ladybug to come find him, and work with him to save Gabriel. He didn't know how long he'd have to wait, but eventually, she would come and save him from all of this.

There was a knock on the door.

"What?" Adrien snapped, a little more harshly than he meant to.

The door opened, and his father walked in. "Adrien…I hoped we could talk."

"About what, exactly?"

"Your mother. About why she's gone in the first place."

Adrien sat bolt upright. His father _never_ talked about his mother. "What do you mean?"

Gabriel sat at the foot of Adrien's bed, drew a deep breath, and sighed. "Your mother was an extraordinary woman. She was kind, selfless, and brave. It was because of her selflessness that she disappeared."

Adrien blinked, unsure of what to say.

"Your mother…Adrien, your mother was a Miraculous holder."

"You're joking."

"No. She held the Miraculous of the Peacock. Her grandmother found it in Tibet and gave it to her when your mother was a very small girl. Her whole life, she was a superheroine in the shadows of Paris. She would stop robberies, muggings, all variety of crimes. Police would sometimes find criminals with signed confessions delivered right to the station. The news people never could find out a thing about her, she was so discreet." A smile danced across Gabriel's lips. "She even saved me, once, while we were dating. It was in University, and a group of drunk athletes were ganging up on me, calling me…unpleasant things…because I was in the fashion school. I still shudder to think what they would have done to me had she not shown up. But there she was, leaping out of the shadows and defending me. I had never seen anything so beautiful as her. And after she beat the athletes senseless, she looked at me, winked, and disappeared back into the shadows. I didn't know it was her until she told me after we were married, and introduced me to her Kwami, Duusuu, and explained the Miraculous. She said that she couldn't very well keep secrets from me if we were married.

"After you were born, Adrien, I started to beg her to put her Miraculous aside. But she refused to do so. And one night…when we were out on a walk, she went to answer the cry of someone in distress…" Gabriel drew a deep breath.

"And she never came back," Adrien whispered.

Gabriel nodded. "Your mother was not the type to leave for no reason. And…I hired private investigators to search the city for her, as you know. The police never found her either. I assumed the worst. But years later, as I was wandering the streets for fashion inspiration, I came across a hole-in-the-wall pawn shop that had a pin in the window that looked like your mother's Miraculous. I could not help but buy it, if only to have something that reminded me of Emilie. When I got it home, I looked at it, and said, "If only Duusuu would come out of you and tell me what happened to my wife. And…she did. It _was_ the Peacock Miraculous that I held in my hand."

"What? You actually found Mother's Miraculous?" Adrien asked.

"Yes. And Duusuu told me what had happened. I warn you, Adrien…the story is not pleasant."

Adrien involuntarily clenched his fists. "Tell me what happened."

"She was shot through the head." Tears began to stream from Gabriel's eyes. She was shot through the head by common criminals. She thought she had defeated them all, but as she was walking away one of them roused and shot her. That was the last thing Duusuu remembered, until I woke her up."

"So the criminals must not have known what the Miraculous was, and taken it, and pawned it?" Adrien said.

"That is all that I can imagine. Duusuu imagines this is the case, as well. That, and only people with a certain type of aura are able to use the Miraculous. At least, that is what Duusuu told me. That is why she responded to me, but not the criminals who seized the Peacock Miraculous. I spoke with Duusuu for many hours, and it was she who told me about the other Miraculous that existed. She was the one who told me of the power of the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous, and it was at that point I began my plan to find the Moth Miraculous. I found it, eventually, in Tibet, with Duusuu's help. After that, I dismissed her. But I have kept the Miraculous ever since."

"Prove it," Adrien said.

Gabriel pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a beautiful peacock pin. "Duusuu," Gabriel whispered. "Come out."

A glowing blue orb appeared, and a peacock-like Kwami emerged. "Gabriel," the Kwami said. "It's been over a year, hasn't it?"

"Well over," Gabriel said. "And unfortunately, I must say farewell to you again. I renounce you, Duusuu."

The Kwami disappeared back into the pin.

Adrien's mouth fell open. "So…you're really telling the truth, then…"

"Yes, Adrien," Gabriel said. "I have not lied to you."

"Why tell me now? Why not tell me sooner?"

"I only wanted to protect you, Adrien. That is all I have ever wanted. And…I've thought long and hard. My abuse of the Miraculous has corrupted both it and me. I'm ready to give it up, and have it purified."

Adrien's heart skipped. "You're serious?"

"Yes. Take me to the Guardian, and I'll give it to him myself."

Adrien shook his head. "No. I can't do that. But you can give _me_ the Moth Miraculous and I'll take it to him."

"It has to be me," Gabriel snapped. "Isn't that right, Nooroo?"

A tiny Kwami peeked out from beneath Gabriel's scarf, looked at Adrien, and shook his head _no._ "Yes, Master. That's right."

"You might have been telling the truth about Mother," Adrien said, as rage filled him, "but you're lying to me now. You just want to get to the Guardian so you can get the Cat Miraculous."

"Ah. So you _did_ return it to the Guardian who gave it to you."

Adrien's cheeks got hot. He hadn't meant to let that detail slip. "Yeah, I did. So? You're never going to find him. Now if you're serious, you'll give me both of those Miraculous you have. If you're not, then get the hell out of my room."

"Language, Adrien," Gabriel said, shaking his head. He stood up and tucked the box with the Peacock Miraculous back into his pocket. "Very well, if that's what you want, I'll do it. But keep in mind that you'll never leave this house again until I have the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous."

"Do you even know what will happen if you bring back Mother, anyway?" Adrien snapped. "Somebody else will lose somebody they love. Is that what you want?"

"Honestly, I don't give a damn about 'somebody else.' That's what your mother did, and that's why she's gone. She chose others over her own family. Selflessness is the worst kind of selfishness."

"You know what? You've become exactly the sort of person Mother would be fighting if she was still here. If you bring her back, do you think she'd even want anything to do with you?"

Gabriel raised a hand and slapped Adrien smartly across the cheek. "Don't talk about things you don't understand!" With that, he stormed from the room. There was the distinct click of a lock in the door.

A moment of silence filled the room.

Then Adrien grabbed his head and started sobbing, sobbing like he hadn't since he was a little boy. The thought of his mother being shot through the head. The thought of his father being a liar who probably didn't really love anyone but himself anymore. The thought of being locked up forever.

 _Come soon, Ladybug,_ Adrien thought. _I can't bear this on my own._

* * *

 **AN: I really hope you're enjoying Metamorphosis, and even if you're not, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much for reading and I'll hopefully update again soon. (Hopefully. NaNoWriMo is coming in November, so who knows?)** ** **If you like my writing, be sure to check out my profile for info on my original published novel.****


	9. Le Miraculous du Renard et de l'Abeille

Marinette rolled out of bed the next morning and stretched deeply. Despite only having slept a few short hours, she felt deeply refreshed and strong, ready to face whatever the day might bring her. "Wow, Tikki," she said, "Master Fu's potion sure did wonders for me."

"I'm glad, Marinette," Tikki replied. "That's especially good, because I have a feeling Hawk Moth is going to cook up some nasty villains for us now that Cat Noir is gone."

"I still don't understand why it had to be like that," Marinette said. "I mean, why couldn't Master Fu have hidden Cat Noir at his place?"

"I don't understand it either. But I'm sure Master Fu knows what he's doing."

"Well, I guess I've got to figure out a way to follow Cat Noir's advice to use Adrien Agreste for help. It's not a bad idea, you know? Adrien is so brave—there was that one time he saved me from that horrible villain Arachnid. And I'm sure he loves his father, so maybe there's a way we can resolve this without too much violence. Because if Hawk Moth gave me a concussion so bad that I barely remember anything, then I'm no match for him alone. There's just one problem I foresee in all of this…time."

"Time?"

"Yeah. Pretty soon, Hawk Moth will realize Cat Noir isn't showing up to the party. And when that happens, it'll be akuma after akuma and I won't have time to be Marinette. I'll just have to be Ladybug, all the time…"

There was a knock on the door. Tikki whisked under the bedcovers.

"Come in," Marinette said.

Sabine pushed open the door and peeked in. "Marinette, there's a little old Chinese man here to see you. He said you met him on the street and had agreed to design a dress for his granddaughter's prom?"

Marinette blinked, wracking her brains for a moment trying to figure out who on earth that could be.

Then it clicked.

"Oh yeah, him! I'd almost forgotten. I told him to get his granddaughter's measurements and drop by sometime."

"You're just meeting people in the streets? That seems a little dangerous…"

"We were both looking at prom dresses in a shop window. We just happened to strike up a conversation. Apparently he's footing the bill for her and she's really particular. He was worried he couldn't find a custom designer who'd do it under a certain price. I figured it couldn't hurt…I'm sorry, Mama."

"All right, I suppose it's fine. He seems harmless enough. Just be careful, Marinette!"

"I will. Tell him I'll be down in a minute."

After Sabine closed the door, Marinette threw on her clothes, grabbed her backpack filled with unfinished homework, and quickly swept her hair back into her signature pigtails. Tikki popped into her purse, and then Marinette ran down the stairs. She blew a kiss to her parents as she ran past the bakery and out the door, where Master Fu waited for her.

"I brought you my granddaughter's measurements," he said, winking. "Would you like me to walk you to school?"

"Sure," Marinette replied. She called farewell to her parents and then followed alongside Master Fu.

"Marinette, now that you are without Cat Noir, you will need other allies," Master Fu said, in hushed tones. "Very few of the Miraculous holders would have power or strength equal to his, but there are two in particular that might aid you in your quest: the Fox, which grants the power of illusion, and the Bee, which grants the gift of paralysis. Here, open your bag." Master Fu pulled out two small jewelry boxes. "I am entrusting these to you. Surely you know people of good and upright heart who can aid you along the way—but keep in mind that only people with a certain type of aura can use the Miraculous at all."

"I can't see auras, though," Marinette said.

"No, but you can sense them. When you are transformed, you will be able to do so much more easily. Follow your intuition, and you cannot fail. Once you have defeated Hawk Moth, you must return both Miraculous to me."

"Why's that?"

"Only the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are intended to be held for an extended period of time. You see, the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are what keep the universe in balance. The other powers are intended to be used at Ladybug's discretion."

"I still don't understand."

"It has simply been the way of things since the Miraculous were first crafted. Imagine how easy it is to abuse the powers of the other Miraculous—look at what Hawk Moth has done."

"But you can abuse the powers of the Ladybug and the Cat, too!"

"Which is why they are granted only to those with the most powerful auras of good."

"But…I abused Lucky Charm…"

"But you repented easily of it. Cat Noir kept you in balance. You abused the power of creation, and he countered it with his power of destruction. The two keep each other in balance by nature, while the other Miraculous spin easily out of control. They are more…volatile, despite being less powerful. They have no natural counterbalance."

"But if I chose people with good, strong auras, why couldn't they keep the Miraculous?"

"They can use it again in the future if needed—but you see…I made the mistake of giving the Peacock and Moth Miraculous to other members of the order when it was not my job to do so. It seemed that the only way out of a dire situation was to do this. But things turned catastrophic, and the entire order of the Guardians was destroyed, simply by the misuse of two Miraculous. There was no Ladybug and Cat Noir at that time to stop things. It was…it was all my fault." Master Fu hung his head. "So choose wisely, Marinette, and even then, do not entrust them to their new holders for longer than necessary."

Marinette swallowed. "That's a lot of pressure," she whispered.

"But I trust you completely," Master Fu said. "I know you can do this."

"Master Fu…without Cat Noir around…who will keep me in balance?"

"Believe it or not, Cat Noir is still out there. The nature of his Miraculous has become attached to him for the rest of his life. If you should ever find yourself out of balance again, he will come to your aid—because it is now a fundamental part of his nature. Does that make sense?"

"Barely," Marinette said. "But I'll take your word for it."

"Then here. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I entrust you with the Miraculous of the Fox and the Bee. Use them wisely, and we will defeat Hawk Moth."

Marinette nodded, then took the jewelry boxes from Master Fu and tucked them into her purse. "Sorry it's a little crowded in there now, Tikki," she whispered.

"I'll be fine," Tikki whispered back.

* * *

Once Marinette had arrived at school, she found herself unable to stop thinking about the powers she now had to dole out, and how she could possibly sense somebody's aura and tell whether they could use a Miraculous or not. She couldn't wait until Adrien showed up, so she could talk to him about helping her to defeat Hawk Moth. She would, of course, have to corner him as Ladybug somehow, but she was sure she could pull that off. She was so deep in thought that she jumped when Alya sat next to her and greeted her cheerfully.

"Whoa, girl," Alya said. "What has you on edge today?"

"I didn't study for the test," Marinette said. It was definitely the truth.

"It's okay. I know you'll pass. Just have confidence!"

"Yeah," Marinette muttered. "Confidence."

"Good morning, class!" Ms. Bustier said, without her usual enthusiasm. "It is my duty to inform you that we have lost one of our students today. Mr. Agreste contacted the school this morning to let us know Adrien will not be coming back to school."

Chloe let out a loud wail of despair. The whole class sighed collectively. Nino shook his head and put his palm to his face.

"Oh no…" Marinette whispered.

"It'll be okay," Alya said, putting her arm around Marinette's shoulders in a sideways hug. "You'll find a way to talk to him. I'm sure Mr. Agreste hasn't taken his phone."

As Alya's hand landed on Marinette's shoulder, a sudden tingling sensation swept across Marinette's whole body. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before: a strong, overwhelming sense of goodness and strength—things she had always known about Alya, but feeling them in a tangible way she could not explain. It was as though Marinette's senses were heightened, and she was feeling something that she didn't quite understand…

 _An aura,_ Marinette thought. _I'm sensing Alya's aura? But how…? Why now, and not before?_

Perhaps, Marinette reasoned, it was because of the Miraculous she now had in her possession. Or maybe something in Master Fu's potion had helped her to feel somebody's aura for the first time. But she knew one thing for sure—Alya's aura was good. It was powerful.

It was perfect.

 _I think I know who's getting one of these Miraculous,_ Marinette thought, smiling. _But which one? Alya is clever and smart…like…like a fox!_

Now all Marinette had to do was decide when to give the Miraculous to Alya. The timing would have to be perfect.

* * *

Over the lunch hour, Marinette decided she couldn't wait to go talk to Adrien, regardless of what Master Fu had said. She needed to get on top of things before somebody else was akumatized. What if it was Adrien who got akumatized next? He would be so sad about not coming to school, and Marinette didn't put it past Hawk Moth to akumatize his own son, if he was willing to put him in harm's way so much of the time. No, the time had to be now. She found a secluded place in the alley, transformed into Ladybug, and made her way to the Agreste mansion. She swallowed back a lump in her throat, hoping that Hawk Moth didn't have security cameras everywhere, but knowing the Agrestes, there probably were. Stealthily, she climbed the nearest building and surveyed the house.

Metal panels covered all of Adrien's windows. There would be no way to talk to him without going inside, unless there was some way she could make the metal disappear.

"Lucky Charm!" she whispered. Magic congealed in the air above her, and a flute fell into her awaiting hands.

"A flute?" Marinette searched her mind for how ideas on she could possibly use a flute to reach Adrien, when she realized something. Volpina had created illusions using her flute.

 _Illusion!_ Marinette thought. _That's it. I can create the illusion of there being no barrier between us, and we might be able to communicate with Adrien! Looks like I'll need Alya's help sooner than later. This afternoon will have to do, though…it's almost time to go back to school._

Solid plan in mind, Marinette rushed back to the school.

 _Now I just need to figure out who will get the Bee Miraculous, and when the best time to use that will be…_


	10. Métamorphose

"Bye, Marinette!" Alya called, as she waved goodbye to her friend.

Marinette smiled and grinned as she waved back. "See you tomorrow, Alya!"

 _Or I'll see you in a few moments,_ Marinette thought, smiling to herself. She waited until Alya was around the corner, and then ran behind a dumpster in an alley to hide. She took the Fox Miraculous out of her purse and set it on the ground.

"Tikki, spots on!" Moments later, Marinette was Ladybug and ready to go. Just as she imagined, the magic had concealed the Bee Miraculous, just as it always concealed her purse.

 _I'll never understand how this magic works,_ she thought, _but I'm so glad that it does._

She bent down and picked up the Fox Miraculous, then hurried to the route she knew that Alya took on her way home. She waited behind a tree until Alya passed.

"Alya," Marinette called.

Alya wheeled around. "Ladybug? OMG, this is amazing." Alya pulled out her phone. "Can I grab an interview!"

"No. Put that away, please. I need you to come with me."

"Oh…okay."

Marinette found a secluded area, where she handed the box with the Fox Miraculous in it to Alya. "Alya Cesaire, this is the Fox Miraculous, which grants the power of illusion. I need your help. But once you are done helping me, I'll need to have it back."

"Whoa! Are you kidding me?" Alya took the box and opened it. An orange orb appeared, and then a fox-like Kwami emerged from the light.

"Hello," the Kwami said. "I'm Trixx. I'm your Kwami."

"What's…a Kwami?"

"Kwamis are what power the Miraculous," Marinette explained. "Now listen. Once you use your power, you only have minutes before you transform back into yourself. You can't let anyone know your secret identity."

"Oh, of course not. Cross my heart and hope to die! I know how this superhero thing works." Alya put on the necklace. "So…how does _this_ thing work?"

"Then all you have to say is, Trixx, let's pounce," Trixx said.

"Trixx, let's pounce!" Alya called out.

Trixx disappeared into necklace as a wave of orange magic swept across Alya's body, and in seconds, she was transformed.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Alya said. "But…I kind of look like Volpina…"

"That's because Volpina was a copycat of this superhero," Marinette said. "But don't worry. You look way more authentic."

"You're totally right," Alya said, grinning widely. "Wow. Just…wow! So, what are we doing? Is there a villain to fight?"

"I'm sure there will be soon, but I first need your help with something else. I've learned who Hawk Moth is."

"You're kidding! Who is he?"

"You'll probably never believe it. It's Gabriel Agreste."

"What? No! His son Adrien is in my class. Adrien's been in danger lots of times. No way Agreste would put his son in that much danger."

"You'd be surprised what misusing a Miraculous does to a person. Plus, I think that he was probably not a great father to begin with."

"That's true. Nino, my boyfriend, absolutely hates the guy. But still—all the things he's done…wow. I just can't believe it."

"It was a shock to me too," Marinette said. "But it's the truth. But I think maybe if we talk to Agreste's son Adrien, he might be able to help us."

"Help you? How? He's just a model. I mean, a really nice guy, but he's not exactly superhero material."

"No, but he has a chance of getting through to his father, or stealing the Miraculous for us, or something. Anyway, it was Cat Noir's idea to use Adrien. After all, Adrien saved my life once while Cat Noir was MIA. He may not be superhero material, but he's definitely got heart, and has a better chance of reaching Hawk Moth than we do."

"Where is Cat Noir, anyway?"

Marinette hung her head. "Hawk Moth knows his identity. He had to go into hiding to protect the Cat Miraculous and himself."

"Whoa. I want to know how _that_ happened."

"He was kinda vague. He couldn't tell me more without revealing his identity."

"So wait a sec…you don't even know who Cat Noir is?"

"Nope. And he doesn't know who I am. It's safest that way."

"But you know who I am…"

"That's because Ladybug gets to call the shots with the lesser Miraculous, apparently," Marinette said. "I just learned that today."

"Wow! There are all these rules!"

"Tell me about it. So, anyway, we need to go to the Agreste mansion and talk to Adrien. His room is completely sealed off. I need you to create the illusion that we can talk to him through the steel plating over the windows."

"Will that work?"

"Only one way to find out!" Marinette said. "Let's go!"

* * *

Adrien lay face down on his bed, aching with loneliness. Why on earth had Master Fu suggested _this_? Why couldn't Adrien have stayed with the old Guardian for a while instead of coming back here to essentially be condemned to prison in his own room?

 _Not that this house wasn't already like a prison,_ Adrien thought. He flipped over and lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "I miss you, Plagg," he said. "You stupid little camembert-eater. I wish I'd never listened to Master Fu."

A sudden banging on steel plating over the windows startled him. He sat up for a moment, his heart racing. Had Ladybug come for him?

There was nothing else.

His heart sank. Perhaps it was a bird attacking its reflection in the shiny steel. He lay back down on the bed.

Then there were three distinct knocks.

Adrien sat up again. This time, there was definitely something going on. He got up, walked over to the window, and knocked on the glass three times in reply.

Adrien strained his ears. He listened for anything he could. He thought (or imagined) he heard the faintest sound of a flute playing a few notes.

Suddenly, daylight poured into the room through a huge gap in the steel plating. And on the other side…

"Ladybug!" Adrien cried, almost dizzy with relief.

Ladybug said something, but Adrien could not hear her. He cupped his hand around his ear and gestured. Ladybug put her hand on her chin, looking up the way she always did when she was thinking about something. She held up a finger, signaling to him to wait. He watched as her lips formed the words _Lucky Charm,_ and a moment later a large dry-erase board and marker fell into her hands. She scribbled hastily on it and turned it around for him to see.

 _I have terrible news and little time to explain. I need your help to fight Hawk Moth. The bad news is…he's your father._

Adrien pretended to look shocked, and mouthed, _What?_

Ladybug quickly erased the words and jotted more down. _I know, it's a lot to take in. But I need your help to defeat him. Are you willing to?_

Adrien nodded. _What can I do?_ he mouthed.

Ladybug thought for what seemed like a long time before she wrote something and turned around the board for him to see again. _I need you to help me set a trap for him. If you're locked up in here, you're feeling lots of negative emotions, right? Do you think there's a chance he could Akumatize you?_

Adrien's heart skipped a beat. The thought hadn't even occurred to him, but Gabriel was probably already thinking about it. All that needed to happen was for Adrien to be Akumatized and his father could force him to lead the way to Master Fu. Not sure what else to do, Adrien shrugged.

Ladybug nodded. She scribbled away. _If he does, do you think you could have the presence of mind to sabotage him?_

Adrien was pretty sure Akumatization didn't work that way, but he gave a tiny nod and mouthed, _How_?

 _If he Akumatizes you, you have to remember one very important thing: he can't control your actions 100%. He can only influence you so much. You just have to have the presence of mind to work with him while working against him. I think._

Adrien nodded again.

 _So. When (if) you're Akumatized, remember this phrase: I MUST GET HAWK MOTH TO COME HELP ME. I need him out in the open. That's your job. Get him out in the open. I'll take care of the rest._

Adrien dashed over to his desk, grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote, _What if he doesn't Akumatize me?_

 _Then try to be as miserable as possible._

Adrien almost laughed out loud. He nodded.

 _Sorry, I have to go._

Seconds later, the steel plating reappeared and the sunlight vanished. The sudden darkness seemed to engulf him.

 _Try to be miserable,_ he thought. _I am miserable. I'm so miserable. I'm the most miserable person on the planet. And I HATE MY FATHER._

There was the feather-soft flutter of wings.

Adrien looked over at the sound.

An Akuma.

 _All right, Hawk Moth,_ Adrien thought. _It's gonna be your loss. Let's do this._

He watched as the Akuma fluttered toward him. His apprehension grew. He was about to learn what his father's victims went through, and he was not sure what to expect. What if he couldn't sabotage Hawk Moth? What if all he could do would be to obey his father's every whim, like a marionette on a string? What would happen then?

The black butterfly fluttered closer, then disappeared into Adrien's shoe. Adrien closed his eyes as his father's voice spoke inside his head.

 _Metamorphosis, I am Hawk Moth. I'm giving you the power to change into the form of any superhero or supervillain you choose. You'll be able to escape this house and be as free as you want. All I ask in return is—_

"I know what you want, Hawk Moth," Adrien said, clasping his hands over his head. It surprised him just how much of a splitting headache being Akumatized gave its victims. "You want the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous, and you've got this crazy idea I'm going to give them to you."

The headache intensified.

 _You'll do anything to be free of me, won't you? After all, your hatred is so strong. Doesn't freedom call to you? Is bringing your mother back such a horrible price to pay?_

Adrien's eyes flew open. _Hatred._ What was it Master Fu had said? _Only love can drive out evil. You must love your enemy._ If he could muster the strength to love his father, no matter how evil his father had become, then he could surely sabotage him during this Akumatization. He drew a deep breath and focused, trying to find the love intermingling with the hate inside him.

"Fine. I'll accept your powers. I'll bring you the Miraculous."

Immediately, the headache vanished. A wave of calm swept over Adrien. He knew what he had to do, both for his father and for Ladybug. _So tell me, Hawk Moth,_ Adrien thought. _Can you read my thoughts?_

There was a period of silence as Adrien stood, waiting, clinging to the glimmer of love he had for his father like a life raft in the sea of the overwhelming desire to seize the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. Nothing happened.

A sudden shock of pain went through him. _What are you waiting for, Metamorphosis?_ his father's voice said. _Why aren't you retrieving the Miraculous?_

Adrien smirked. _I guess you can't read my thoughts after all._ "Sorry, Hawk Moth. I was just thinking about what I wanted to do first. But if I'm going to find Ladybug, I'd better bust out of here, huh?" He clenched his fists. "Metamorphosis!" he shouted, focusing with all his mind on Cat Noir's form. Instantly, he shifted. "Wow, I missed this. _Cataclysm!_ " He charged the windows and swiped his hand across them. Instantly, the glass disappeared, but the power coursing through his ring hand did not. "Whoa. I have unlimited uses of the superhero's power?"

 _Yes. See how easy this will be?_

Adrien felt himself more fully embracing the feelings of negativity coursing through him. This was going to be a snap. _No way Ladybug can defeat me,_ he thought, grinning.

But somewhere deep inside him, Master Fu's and Ladybug's words rattled around in his subconscious. _Only love can drive out evil. I must get Hawk Moth out in the open._

He swiped his charged hand across the steel plating, and it crumbled and blew away in the wind. He flexed his hand to cease the power, extended his staff, and escaped through the open window.


	11. Super Papillon

Marinette carefully packed the Fox Miraculous into its box. "Thanks, Alya," she said. "Or should I say, 'Rena Rouge'? Now, I have to go before I de-transform."

"We'll see each other soon, right?" Alya said.

"Absolutely—as long as Cat Noir is out of commission, I'll need your help again. I—"

Marinette stopped short as she watched the school building crumble in the distance. The sound of wailing sirens and screams floated through the air. "Oh, no. Hawk Moth has Akumatized somebody, for sure." She handed the box back to Alya. "I gotta go. Meet me by that collapsed building in about five minutes."

"Five minutes? Why so long?"

"It'll take that long for our Kwamis to recuperate. Now I really have to go!"

Marinette ran around the corner just in time to de-transform away from Alya's eyes. She let out a sigh of relief, clicked open her purse, and handed a cookie to Tikki. The little Kwami ate ravenously.

"Poor Adrien," Marinette said. "I hate having to use him this way—and I'm pretty sure that's not what Cat Noir meant when he said to go to Adrien for help. I wonder if it's Adrien who just destroyed that building—and I hope that nobody was inside…oh, Tikki, what if I made the wrong play here? What if we all made the wrong play?"

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki said, between mouthfuls of cookie. "You've got Alya, and you still have the Bee Miraculous to hand out."

"Yeah, but I don't know who to give it to. I know once we have Hawk Moth in the open, we can paralyze him to take his Miraculous, but who would be a good choice?" Marinette thought for a moment. "Alix. Alix is really brave and tough. She'll be up to this challenge, for sure. Assuming she wasn't hurt in the building collapse. And assuming she can use the Miraculous, and assuming…oh, Tikki, it's all assumptions! What am I going to do, what am I going to do?"

Tikki wolfed down the last bite of cookie. "Have the Bee Miraculous ready to go, and transform! We have to meet Alya at the school building."

"You're right." Marinette swallowed back her fear. "Tikki, spots on!"

Once transformed, Marinette hooked the Bee Miraculous to her yo-yo and ran as fast as she could to the site of the school. She arrived just as the building next to it was collapsing. She gasped when she saw who was standing next to the destroyed building.

"Ladybug," Cat Noir said. "You showed up just in time."

"Cat Noir?" Marinette gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you only wish I was Cat Noir. You only wish you had an ally to help you fight me."

"Wait. You're not Cat Noir, you're the victim of an Akuma!"

"I'm not _just_ the victim of an Akuma. I'm Metamorphosis—Hawk Moth's masterpiece. You have no chance of defeating me on your own."

"Good thing she's not on her own, then!" Rena Rouge leapt down from the rubble of the school. She ran to Marinette's side. "You think this one's Adrien?" she whispered.

"Possibly," Marinette said. "Probably. There's got to be some way we can find out."

"Even if it is two against one, I'm feeling pretty lucky," Metamorphosis said. " _Metamorphosis_!"

Marinette's jaw dropped as in a flash of light Cat Noir disappeared, only to be replaced by Ladybug.

"I think the bigger question is going to be finding where his Akuma is," Marinette said, frowning. "I thought maybe it would be in his baton, or his ring, but now…now I'm not sure."

"And we still don't know if this is Adrien," Rena Rouge said. "If it's not, your plan is bust."

"What are you two girls whispering about?" Metamorphosis called out, in Ladybug's voice. "Wondering where my Akuma is? You'll never find it. It's too well hidden. _Lucky Charm!"_ Pink magic swirled in the air, an exact copycat of Ladybug's power. The object fell into Metamorphosis's waiting hands: a massive, evil-looking sword that looked exactly like the one Antibug had produced back when Chloe was Akumatized.

"Ladybug, what do we do?" Rena Rouge said nervously.

 _If only we had Cataclysm right now,_ Marinette thought. _Oh, Cat, I feel so lost without you…_ She shook her head to chase the thought away. She had to figure this out.

"So you've got a fancy sword and can mimic my powers," Marinette called out. "Big deal. Now you've got five minutes before you de-transform."

"Not so," Metamorphosis said. "I can use the power as many times as I want. _Lucky Charm!_ "

More magic congealed in the air and another sword, this one smaller, appeared. "Excellent. Two handed combat. Let's go, Ladybug…and whatever your name is."

"It's Rena Rouge, and I'll teach you not to forget it!" Rena Rouge shouted. She started to charge, but Marinette caught her by the hand and held her back.

"No. This is just what Metamorphosis wants. I know it's a little early, but…" Marinette's voice dropped to a whisper. "Let's give Metamorphosis about a hundred of us to fight."

"I like the way you think." Rena Rouge held the flute to her lips and played a few notes. " _Mirage!_ " Suddenly, the whole area was filled with about a hundred Ladybugs and a hundred Rena Rouges.

"Come and fight us," the illusions called tauntingly. They all held their weapons up, ready to strike.

"You think that's going to work on me?" Metamorphosis shouted. She (or he, Marinette still wasn't sure at this point what pronoun was appropriate, and asking Metamorphosis for their preferred pronoun seemed like a waste of time) laughed wildly. " _Metamorphosis!"_ In a flash of light, the supervillain became the Evillustrator, who with a quick swipe of his iPad made all the illusions disappear at once. " _Metamorphosis!"_ He (or she) then shifted into Rena Rouge, whipped out the flute, and played a few notes. " _Mirage!"_ A hundred Ladybugs appeared, all wielding the swords. They all charged Marinette and Rena Rouge at once. _"Metamorphosis!"_ The villain was Ladybug once more, wielding the swords. She (or he) disappeared in the crowd of charging Ladybugs.

Marinette whirled her yo-yo, breaking the illusions one at a time. "Be careful! We don't know which one is the real one!"

"You got it!" Rena Rouge called back.

A very real collision hit Marinette's whirling yo-yo as one of the Ladybugs swung her sword. "There you are, Metamorphosis," Marinette said. "What good are all these illusions to you now?"

The Ladybug just grinned. " _Metamorphosis!_ " In a flash of light, Cat Noir stood before her. " _Cataclysm!_ " Metamorphosis swiped the charged hand through the air right at Marinette's face. Instinctively, Marinette raised her whirling yo-yo to defend herself.

"Got it!" shouted Metamorphosis, as his (or her) hand brushed across the yo-yo.

In horror, Marinette watched her yo-yo disappear in a cloud of ash. Without her yo-yo, how could she do Lucky Charm? How could she purify the Akuma? How could she do _anything?_ Panic threatened to swallow her up.

Metamorphosis's hand was still charged with dark energy. He (or she) swiped again. Marinette did an aerial flip out of the way.

"You're totally helpless now, Ladybug," Metamorphosis said. "Now give me your Miraculous."

"No she's not!" Rena Rouge swept in and struck Metamorphosis so hard on the head that he toppled over and hit the ground.

In a flash of light, Adrien lay on the ground, massaging the top of his head. But everything about him seemed different. He was rage-filled, and the anger looked so foreign on his usually gentle features. One of his shoes was black.

 _It is Adrien,_ thought Marinette _. So I can't take his Akuma, not yet. He hasn't gotten Hawk Moth out in the open yet. But how…how is this going to work without my yo-yo?_

* * *

Adrien lay on the ground with anger coursing through him. He couldn't believe he had let Rena Rouge get the drop on him like that. But both of them were going to pay. Ladybug would be helpless without her yo-yo, and Rena Rouge was going to transform back soon. He struggled to his feet, laughing wickedly. Taking Ladybug's Miraculous would be a cinch now, and then he could go retrieve the Cat Miraculous.

A sudden voice deep inside him clamored loudly. _I must get Hawk Moth out in the open._

Adrien scowled. He wanted to silence the voice. Nothing was more important than taking Ladybug's earrings and getting the ring. But as he looked at Ladybug, her eyes alight with the beautiful fire of determination, a feeling swept through him.

 _I love her,_ he thought. _And I promised her I would get Hawk Moth out in the open. I promised. But I don't need Hawk Moth's help. I can defeat Ladybug on my own. But I know I must get him out in the open. How do I…what if…what if…_

 _What is going on, Metamorphosis?_ Gabriel's voice echoed inside of Adrien's head. _Why have you stopped fighting?_

A grin twisted Adrien's face. " _Metamorphosis!"_ he shouted, focusing with all his might on one particular supervillain's form: Hawk Moth. In seconds, he had taken the form of his transformed father.

 _Good thinking, Metamorphosis,_ Gabriel's voice said inside of Adrien's head. _Now you can Akumatize as many villains as you want. You'll have an unstoppable army._

"Yeah, starting with one person in particular. Somebody full of negative emotions," Adrien said. He snatched a butterfly out of the air, clasped his hands around it, and smiled. "A man who is grieving the tragic loss of a wife, a man who has gone positively insane with negativity and anger over his repeated failures to seize the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. Perfect prey for an Akuma, don't you think, Hawk Moth?"

 _Don't you DARE._

Adrien smirked. "Fly away, Akuma—and darken his heart!"

The Akuma fluttered away.

 _You idiot boy. Do you really think you can Akumatize ME? I'll strip you of your powers right now if you don't stop._

"But what if it works?" Adrien said. "If I Akumatize you, you'll have whatever powers I give you, and we _will_ be an unstoppable army. We'll get the Miraculous for sure."

* * *

Gabriel blinked his eyes in disbelief. Did Adrien really have the sheer audacity to think that he could Akumatize him, Hawk Moth, who had given Adrien those powers in the first place?

But on the other hand, Adrien had a point. If Adrien could give him unlimited uses of his power to Akumatize people, then both of them could work to create an endless army of people to overwhelm Ladybug and her new allies. But he would also be surrendering his autonomy to Adrien. He had already risked that with Simon Says, and the results had been disastrous.

 _Come on, Father,_ Adrien said. _Think about it. Do you really want to take my powers away now, when we're so close to cornering Ladybug? Just think about how much more powerful I can make you._

Gabriel chewed on his lip. He only had seconds to decide whether or not to go through with this. "Fine, but only if you'll give me the powers exactly as I say: you must give me the power to produce as many Akumas as possible."

 _You got it, Hawk Moth,_ Adrien said.

The Akuma fluttered into Gabriel's observatory. He held out his cane and watched as the Akuma disappeared into it.

Instantly, he had a splitting headache. He listened as Adrien's voice echoed loudly in his head.

 _Super Moth, I am Metamorphosis. And I am giving you the power to Akumatize as many people as you possibly can. All I ask in return is that you come and fight here beside me—and that we can be a true Father-and-Son team._

"That's all you're asking?" Gabriel said. A sudden feeling of warmth went through him. "Very well, son. I will come and fight beside you, and together, we will bring back your mother from the dead." A wave of magic swept over Gabriel's body, changing his outfit from silver and purple into silver and midnight black. Gabriel grinned.

This was perfect. There was no way Ladybug could escape—not now.


	12. Reine des Abeilles

Marinette couldn't believe her eyes and ears. When she had asked Adrien to get Hawk Moth out in the open, this wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. From what she could hear of what Adrien was saying, he had Akumatized Hawk Moth to be even more powerful than he was already.

"Wait a sec," Rena Rouge said, "did he just turn into Hawk Moth? And did I hear that right? Did he just _Akumatize_ Hawk Moth?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what just happened," Marinette said.

"Ladybug, this is bad. I'm about to transform back."

"Then go. I'll hold him back. Plus, I've got one more trick up my sleeve." Marinette glanced down at the Miraculous box that still hung at her waist. She just had to go find Alix and see if she would accept the Bee Miraculous. "Go! Go now!"

Rena Rouge nodded and ran.

"It's just you and me now, Ladybug," Metamorphosis said. "And here you are, stuck without your yo-yo. What are you possibly going to do to defeat me? Give me your Miraculous before Hawk Moth arrives and things won't be as unpleasant for you as they're going to be. Trust me on this. My father is not a kind man. And look at all these frightened people watching us. We're going to start Akumatizing them one by one, until there's nobody left to help you, or even to give that Miraculous you're holding onto. What does that one do, I wonder?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Marinette said, planting her hands on her hips.

"As a matter of fact, I would," said a deep voice behind Marinette.

Marinette wheeled around. There was Hawk Moth, dressed in black and silver. It was all she could do not to let out a small yelp as she heard dozens of people run away from the scene with shouts of terror.

 _Cat Noir, I_ need _you!_ Marinette thought. _There's no way I can face_ two _Hawk Moths without you, when I couldn't even face one without getting concussed so badly I forgot about it._

Hawk Moth drew a sword from his cane. Metamorphosis did the same.

"And now," they said, in perfect sync, " _attack_!"

Marinette backflipped out of the way just in time to avoid her enemies' blades. She realized that at this point, she only had one option: retreat. Until Rena Rouge was recharged and she could give Alix the Bee Miraculous, it was her only choice. She ran as fast as she could, but a black butterfly fluttered past her at an almost impossible speed.

Within seconds, a villain she instantly recognized stepped around the corner.

"Pixelator!" Marinette shouted, reaching for her yo-yo instinctively, but only found herself grasping at air. Her stomach flopped. And then she saw a whole army of black butterflies, flying in all directions.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the familiar sight of some of her classmates—Alix, Rose, and Juleka, who all took off running and screaming. Marinette took off after them, running as fast as she could. "Wait!" she shouted.

But in a flash, all three of them disappeared as the Pixelator's power whisked them all away.

Marinette kept running until she rounded the corner, then gasped for breath once she thought she was out of view. How many dozens more people were being Akumatized while she hid? _How am I going to do this?_ she thought. _How, how, how?_ _This is bad. So bad._

There was the sound of sniffling coming from behind the dumpster in the alley. Carefully, cautiously, Marinette walked toward the sound, only to discover Chloe sitting on the ground, smearing tears from her face. Chloe looked up and her whole face brightened.

"Ladybug! You've come to save me!" Chloe jumped up from the ground and threw her arms around Marinette.

Normally, Marinette would have shrugged the hug away. Being touched by Chloe was the last thing on earth she wanted. But a startling wave of tingling shot through Marinette as Chloe touched her, and Marinette immediately recognized it.

An aura.

Chloe could wield a Miraculous.

That thought in itself was terrifying enough—but what seemed even more terrifying was that it looked like, at this juncture in time, Chloe could quite possibly be Marinette's only option. Metamorphosis was too powerful of a villain—he hadn't been kidding when he said he was Hawk Moth's masterpiece. There was no guarantee they could even stop Metamorphosis, let alone face Metamorphosis and Hawk Moth, if he came out in the open according to Marinette's plan.

 _Beggars can't be choosers,_ Marinette thought, with a sigh. "Chloe, listen. I need your help." She unhooked the box from her waist and handed it to Chloe. "Chloe Bourgeois, this is the Miraculous of the Bee, which grants the power of paralysis. Will you use it to help me defeat this villain, and then return it to me?"

"You—you want _me_ to be a superheroine? I can't believe this! Ha! Wait until that stupid Dupain-Cheng girl hears about this. She won't ever be able to say anything bad about me again."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "You can't tell _anyone,_ Chloe. It has to be a secret!"

"Oh, right," Chloe said. "Well, I suppose if I _must_ keep my fabulous identity a secret, then I'll just have to. But why do I have to give it back to you?"

"Because it's only temporary," Marinette said. "It's just the way things are."

"All right, fine. So…what do I do?"

"Open it," Marinette said, her patience running short.

Chloe opened the box, and a glowing golden orb emerged. Then a little bee-like Kwami appeared. "Hello, my queen," the Kwami said. "I'm Pollen, and I'm your Kwami. I am what powers your Miraculous."

"Oh my gosh, it's so fabulous," Chloe said, pulling out the Miraculous and putting the comb in her hair. "I'm so getting a duplicate made."

"Whatever makes you happy," Marinette mumbled.

"Now what?"

"You just say, 'Pollen, bug on,'" Pollen said, smiling.

"All right!" Chloe said. "Just watch, Ladybug. You are _so_ not going to regret this."

 _Why do I feel like I am?_ Marinette thought.

"Pollen, bug on!" Within seconds, Chloe was transformed. She looked down at her form. "Absolutely _fabulous!_ " she squealed.

"Forget about how fabulous it is and help me beat this villain. Follow my instructions, will you?"

"Totally, Ladybug. Oh! What's my superhero name? Can it be Queen Bee? It totally fits my regal presence."

"Sure," Marinette said wearily. "All right, Queen Bee. Here's the deal. I need you paralyze Hawk Moth. He is the one in black and silver, not purple and silver. Got that?"

"Got it. Paralyze Hawk Moth."

"But we have to be careful. There are Akuma victims all over the place. And Hawk Moth is a really powerful fighter."

"No problem, Ladybug. Just leave it Chloe Bourgeois."

"You mean Queen Bee."

"Whatever, it's all the same."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

She ran back down the length of the alley and peered around the corner, only to find that there were dozens of Akumatized victims milling around the area. It would only be a matter of time before they came down the alley, too.

"Psst, Ladybug!" said a voice from above.

Marinette looked up. "Rena Rouge! You're back! This is perfect. I have the perfect plan, and our new friend Queen Bee is going to help us carry it out."

"You have other friends besides that stupid Cat Noir?" Queen Bee said.

Marinette glared. "Don't you dare call Cat Noir stupid. He's my best friend. Now. In order for this plan to work, we need to lure Hawk Moth into this alley, where Queen Bee will paralyze him. Got that?"

Both of the superheroines nodded.

"Then let's go. Charge your power, Queen Bee!" Marinette said.

" _Venom!"_ Queen Bee shouted.

Marinette turned to Rena Rouge. "Quick! Rena Rouge! Make Queen Bee invisible."

Rena Rouge played the magical notes on her flute. _"Mirage!"_ She flung the energy toward Chloe, who disappeared.

"Now, don't move, Queen Bee, or you'll break the illusion. Wait until we have Hawk Moth over here, and then do your stuff."

"Got it!" Queen Bee said.

Marinette rounded the corner of the building. Every single Akuma victim stopped in their tracks and stared at her. "All right, Hawk Moth, Metamorphosis! I'm surrendering my Miraculous to you. But only on the condition that you free all these people from your Akumas once I have—and you have to personally come take them from me. I'm defenseless, after all."

"This is such an obvious trap," Hawk Moth and Metamorphosis said, as one. "You could be an illusion, created by Rena Rouge. And that Miraculous that was at your waist is gone. Come here to us, away from there, and you'll put the earrings in our hands yourself."

"Fine, if that's what it takes to get you to leave all these people alone!" Marinette said. Slowly, she walked across the street toward where Hawk Moth and Metamorphosis stood. The Akuma victims stood by. Some of them laughed. Marinette made it halfway before she stopped. Her whole plan hinged on getting Hawk Moth close enough to Queen Bee to paralyze him so she could take his Miraculous.

She took another hesitant step forward. How was this going to work? How?

"Adrien, listen to me," she said. "You've saved me in the past—you saved me from that horrible spider villain, Arachnid. You almost died for me. And you agreed to get Hawk Moth out in the open, and you've done that."

"What is she talking about, Metamorphosis?" Hawk Moth said.

"Sorry, Father. It's true what she says. I did agree to do that, and so I did, even though you'd Akumatized me. But it's the only thing I agreed to. There's still no way she can beat us."

"Adrien, help me again," Marinette said. "I need your help to beat him. It's the only way to set your father free."

"You're a fool if you think I'll help you now, Ladybug," Metamorphosis said. "For the first time in my life, my father is my friend now, my ally! I won't let you take that away from me." He grinned. "Are you ready for the ultimate irony?" He leaned in and whispered into Hawk Moth's ear.

Hawk Moth grinned too, a wicked grin that made Marinette shiver.

"Adrien, you have to fight it! You have to fight off this Akuma!"

"No, Ladybug. It's _you_ that has to fight now. _Metamorphosis!"_


	13. Cataclysme et Porte-Bonheur

**Author's Note: I'm about to drop an unfamiliar word on you in this chapter: "caltrops." Caltrops are spiky four-pointed things that police sometimes toss in front of cars to take out a vehicles tires, and in older warfare, they were used to stop horses. Apologies if you already knew this; otherwise, you're welcome for the new lesson.**

* * *

A splitting headache raged inside Adrien's head. Being in control of Hawk Moth was like a constant battle of wills, with each of them struggling to make their own autonomous decisions. He could feel the pain in his father's mind, too. It was like an endless loop of pain. But as long as they did everything together, and in sync, the pain lessened. They became symbiotic.

A true Father-and-Son team.

It was all Adrien had ever wanted, to be so precious to his father, to be such an integral part of his father's life. It made him feel special. Wanted.

It eased the hatred flowing inside him. It brought out feelings of love. And that was when Adrien heard Master Fu's voice in the back of your mind: _you must love your enemy._

 _Love._ It was the antidote to all of this control, all of this evil. And the words reminded him of something—despite their alliance, Hawk Moth was still Adrien's enemy. He had been all along.

The confusion of feelings made his headache scream all the louder. He almost couldn't hear Ladybug's words:

"Adrien, you have to fight it! You have to fight off this Akuma!"

As Adrien looked at her, hearing her voice and the pleading desperation, something occurred to him. Ring or no ring, he _was_ Cat Noir. And both Adrien and Cat Noir loved nothing with more ardor than one person, and that person was Ladybug. His Ladybug needed him.

"No, Ladybug. It's _you_ that has to fight now. _Metamorphosis!"_ he shouted, focusing all of his thoughts on Ladybug's form. Instantly, he turned into her. His initial plan had been to use Ladybug's own powers to defeat her, now that she was out alone in the open. It would be, as he said, the ultimate irony. His father loved the idea. His father was proud of him.

But now, as he remembered the sound of Ladybug's pleading, he fought with all his might against the control his father imposed on him. He might not have the strength to fight his father off again, but in this moment, this one, crucial moment, his love for Ladybug and his love for his father—his _real_ father, not this corrupted version of him—freed him just enough for rebellion.

He took the yo-yo from his waist. "Ladybug! Catch!" With all his might, he lobbed the yo-yo through the air, watching with satisfaction as Ladybug's whole face lit up with joy as she caught the yo-yo in her outstretched hands.

Unbelievable pain shot through Adrien, pain so horrible he nearly doubled over from it.

"Metamorphosis! What have you done?" Hawk Moth bellowed.

"What I had to do," Adrien gasped. "I did what I had to do."

* * *

Marinette watched in awe as Metamorphosis tossed his version of her yo-yo to him. She reached out and caught it, her whole heart burning with love for Adrien. He was so _strong._ To think he could do that, while Akumatized…he was amazing…simply _amazing._

"Metamorphosis! What have you done?" Hawk Moth bellowed.

"What I had to do," Adrien gasped. "I did what I had to do."

"Then I'll strip you of your powers! That will make the yo-yo go away!"

"Strip me of my powers and you go back to having _no_ Akumatized victims," Adrien countered. "It'll be just you and Ladybug."

Hawk Moth let out a snarl. "Everyone!" he shouted. "Attack Ladybug!"

All of the Akumatized victims charged in, including Adrien, who shouted _Metamorphosis_ as he ran and changed into Cat Noir.

 _"Lucky Charm!"_ Marinette cried. Magic congealed in the air, and into her hands fell two red and black-spotted objects: a bag of huge metal jacks and a rubber bouncy ball. "Oh no, what am I going to do with these?" She looked at Adrien charging her as Cat Noir, and saw that he had charged his hand for Cataclysm.

She thought back to when her mother had been Akumatized, and how when Cat Noir's Cataclysm touched her Lucky Charm, there had been a massive explosion. It had hurt Cat Noir pretty seriously. Could she risk hurting Adrien the same way?

Dozens of Akumatized victims were running toward her. Did she have a choice?

"Sorry about this, Adrien!" Marinette called, and she spiked the ball on the ground at an angle. It bounced up just as she had calculated—right into Adrien's charged Cataclysm.

Like matter and anti-matter colliding, a deafening explosion went off. With a yell of pain, Adrien went flying back, transformed back into himself, and hit the pavement with a loud _thud._ The shock wave from the explosion sent several of the Akumatized villains around him flying as well. Marinette cast the jacks onto the ground like caltrops, wound her yo-yo around the nearest light post, and sailed away through the air as the rest of the villains shouted when the sharp jacks poked through their shoes.

She landed lightly on her feet beside Adrien. He looked pretty badly hurt, covered with bruises and scrapes. His face was filled with rage, but he must have been in too much pain to move.

"Get away from me," he snarled. "I won't let you stop us from bringing my mother back. Father! Help me!"

"Get away from _my son_!" Hawk Moth shouted, barreling toward Marinette with his sword drawn.

Marinette quickly snatched Adrien's shoe from his foot, held up the shoe, and leaned back as Hawk Moth charged.

His sword sliced clean through the shoe and a little black butterfly flew out.

"Hah!" Marinette shouted triumphantly. Instantly, Adrien's anger vanished, and he passed out. But his anger wasn't the only thing that vanished. All of the Akumatized victims reverted back to their normal form at once. A wave of black magic swept over Hawk Moth, and his costume went from being black and silver to purple and silver.

Unfortunately, Ladybug's yo-yo vanished too.

 _Hadn't thought of that,_ she thought, swallowing back panic. She dodged as Hawk Moth struck another blow of his sword at her.

"That was foolish of you, Ladybug," Hawk Moth said.

Marinette glanced around, desperate for ideas. Then something occurred to her. The buildings Metamorphosis had destroyed were still destroyed. So even if the yo-yo had vanished, the Lucky Charm it produced should not have…

Like a beacon of hope, she spotted one of the jacks lying on the ground, sparkling in the sunlight. She made a dive for it, grabbed it in her hand, and tossed it in the air with a triumphant shout of _"Miraculous Ladybug!_ "

"No!" Hawk Moth roared.

As the magic swirled around them, repairing all the damage, Marinette's yo-yo reappeared in her hand. "Now try and stop me, Hawk Moth!"

"Stop you? You hurt my son. I'm going to _end_ you."

Marinette backflipped out of the way as Hawk Moth lunged at her again. She turned and ran for the alley where she knew her allies waited, silently praying that five minutes hadn't passed already. It felt like centuries had gone by. Who knew if Chloe and Alya were still there?

As she rounded the corner, she saw nothing. But she glimpsed up at the roof of the nearest building and saw a flash of orange. She grinned. It wasn't too late.

Hawk Moth charged after her, clearly blind with rage.

"Queen Bee!" Marinette shouted. "Now!"

The illusion of Queen Bee's invisibility broke and she lunged at Hawk Moth with her charged hand. He let out a yell of shock as her stinger went into him, and he went completely frozen, the look of shock still etched into his face. Marinette unpinned the Moth Miraculous from Hawk Moth's shirt and watched with satisfaction as he reverted to Gabriel Agreste, the same look of shock still on his face.

"What?" Queen Bee said. "Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste? But there's no way Adrien's father could be so… _evil."_

"That's what I thought once, too," Marinette said. "But anyone can be evil, if they allow themselves to be corrupted."

"Sorry, Ladybug, but we have to go," Rena Rouge said. "We'll meet up with you later."

"Yeah, I'm about to transform back into my fabulous self," Queen Bee said.

Marinette tried not to roll her eyes. "Then hurry and go!"

Both Queen Bee and Rena Rouge took off running in opposite directions.

"Well now, Mr. Agreste," Marinette said. "I think you've caused enough trouble for several lifetimes, don't you? Several lifetimes in prison, I imagine."

Gabriel broke free from Queen Bee's paralysis. Marinette imagined that somewhere, Chloe's Miraculous had deactivated. With a snarl, he lunged at her, swinging his fists. Marinette easily dodged the blows.

"You're going to regret this, Ladybug," he said.

"No, you're going to regret everything you've done to Paris!" Ladybug swung her yo-yo and lassoed Gabriel to the nearby lamp post. "I'll be calling the police to handle you from here."

"Ladybug, wait!"

Marinette looked up at the sound of the voice. Adrien was running toward them.

"Please don't call the police," he said. His face was full of pleading. "I know he has done terrible things, but none of the damage he has done hasn't been reversed. Please. I've already lost my mother. Please don't take my father away from me, too."

Marinette's heart melted at Adrien's expression. He was so caring, even about a father who had put him at risk dozens of times. But it couldn't be helped. "It's too late for that, Adrien," Marinette said. "When all of these people wake up and see who it is, they'll all want justice."

"Then let him go before they wake up. Please. I'm begging you. Besides, your earrings are flashing. Doesn't that mean you're about to transform back? Let me take him back home."

"You think I'll let you?" Gabriel snarled. "You've undermined me every step of the way, and all I ever wanted was to bring your mother back!"

Adrien looked down at his father with pity on his face. "Do you _want_ to go to prison? Because I can leave you here and let Ladybug take you to prison."

Gabriel let out a low, feral sounding growl.

Marinette hesitated.

"Trust me," Adrien said, offering Marinette a smile. "Let me worry about my father."

"You know, I couldn't have done any of this without you today," Marinette said. "I owe you everything."

Adrien blushed. "Well, if that mangy Cat Noir wasn't going to show up and help you…"

Marinette giggled. "Well, in a way, I suppose he did. It was your Akumatized version of him who helped me win, after all." Her earring beeped loudly, signaling the final countdown before she changed back. "Good luck with your father, Adrien." She released Gabriel from her yo-yo and quickly leapt up to the nearest rooftop and ran away to find a safe place to detransform.


	14. Purification

Once de-transformed, Marinette let out a deep sigh. "Oh, wow, Tikki. I didn't think we were going to get out of that one."

"It was close, to be sure," Tikki said. "But you saved the day, _and_ you got the Moth Miraculous back!"

"Yeah! All thanks to Adrien, Alya, and…I can't believe I'd ever say this, but…even Chloe helped save the day." Marinette handed a cookie to Tikki. "I guess I should go get their Miraculous now, shouldn't I?"

"Actually, I would go straight to Master Fu," Tikki said. "As long as the Moth Miraculous is still corrupted, Gabriel Agreste will be corrupted, too. It will be dangerous for Adrien to have to deal with him for too long."

"You're right. And I've already put him in so much of harm's way today. Have you ever seen anything so sweet and brave and amazing as he is? I love him so much!"

"Focus, Marinette. We have to get to Master Fu."

"Right." Marinette stuck the Moth Miraculous into her purse. "Let's go."

* * *

Marinette knocked on Master Fu's door. There was a long pause before he opened it.

"Marinette," he said. "I can tell by the look on your face you have good news. Come in, please."

Marinette stepped inside. Once the door was shut, she clicked open her purse and pulled out the Moth Miraculous. "Look what I've got!"

"I don't believe it," Master Fu said, his eyes wide. "I—I can't believe you managed to do this so _easily."_

"Oh, it wasn't easy," Marinette said. "I almost got beaten. But I went to Adrien Agreste, just like Cat Noir suggested, and he turned out to be key in defeating Hawk Moth—even when he was Akumatized!"

"Adrien Agreste is a remarkable young man." Master Fu chuckled. "Where is he now?"

"With his father. Gabriel still seemed pretty violence-prone, so I think we should purify the Miraculous as soon as possible. Adrien could be in grave danger until then."

"You are right. But why did you let Gabriel go?"

"Because of Adrien. I couldn't very well take the only parent he has left, could I? He begged me not to. He said that he'd take care of his father. And after everything Adrien did to help win the day, I'm certain Adrien has it in him to keep Gabriel in check—at least until we get this thing purified. So how do we do that?"

"Well, there are two ways. One is to use the Miraculous's power for good ten times for every time it was used for evil—but that would take too long a time, and whoever used the Miraculous now would be corrupted by it."

"So what's the second way?"

"Tears," Master Fu said.

"Tears? You mean, we have to cry on it?"

"Tears of remorse are what begin the process of purification. Ideally, it would be Gabriel's tears of remorse. But he has become so corrupted I doubt he can even feel remorse."

"So…not ideally, would anyone's tears of remorse work?"

"I do not know. I have never come across a Miraculous so powerfully abused."

Marinette hung her head. "I can think of some remorse that I have," she said. "I really regret under-appreciating Cat Noir. I wish he were here so I could tell him how much he means to me. I regret hurting him so badly when I misused my Lucky Charm when we were fighting Recompense."

"I feel a great deal of remorse as well," Master Fu said. "My decisions were what led to the Moth and Peacock Miraculous being lost in the first place, and the destruction of the entire order of the Guardians. I only hope that my remorse is great enough to undo the damage to this Miraculous. Though I have cried many, many tears of remorse in the past, I only hope that I can find some now…" Master Fu squeezed his eyes shut and two tears ran down his face. He caught them with his finger. "Here, Marinette. Give me the Moth Miraculous."

Marinette nodded. She handed over the Miraculous and Master Fu wiped the tears from his finger onto the Miraculous.

Nothing happened.

"I think…maybe…the tears have to come from the misuse of a Miraculous," Marinette said. "Which I have done. I almost killed a man. And I hurt Cat Noir when he stopped me. I can feel the remorse that Gabriel Agreste doesn't."

"You're very brave, Marinette."

"No," Marinette said, as tears started to bead in her eyes. "I'm not. I just know what it feels like to regret something so much that the regret will never go away." With that, the tears began to freely flow from her eyes. Soon, she found herself sobbing, almost feeling as if it was her fault that the Moth Miraculous had been so abused—if only she had been able to stop Hawk Moth sooner, none of this would have happened to poor Nooroo. And then she found herself weeping for Master Fu, too, imagining all the horrible remorse he must have in his heart. She caught all of her tears in her hands, then held out her wet hands for Master Fu to put the Moth Miraculous in. She clasped her wet hands around the brooch and held it tight.

Suddenly, light emanated from inside her hands. She opened them, only to see that the Miraculous was glowing with purple light.

"You've done it, Marinette!" Master Fu said. "Now, you must become Ladybug and purify it as if you were purifying an Akuma."

Marinette almost laughed with sudden joy. She set the Miraculous down, stood up, and called out, "Tikki, spots on!"

Within seconds, she was Ladybug. She took her yo-yo from her waist and slid her finger across the top. "No more evil-doing for you, little Miraculous," she said, as the yo-yo split open. She picked up the Moth Miraculous and set it in the yo-yo, which closed around it. She held the yo-yo high above her head. "I'm freeing you of evil!" she shouted.

A blinding white light filled the room for a split second. Marinette blinked away sunspots as she lowered the yo-yo back down. She popped it open, and inside, just as perfect as could be, was the Moth Miraculous. She could almost feel the positive energy emanating from it now. "I did it!" She practically felt like jumping up and down.

Master Fu just smiled.

"And now Gabriel Agreste will be free of the corruption too, right?" Marinette said.

"He will be as he was before he abused the Miraculous. Whether that means he is free of all corruption, I do not know. But the corruption of the Miraculous will be lifted from his heart."

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to know. Here, Master Fu. I present you with the Moth Miraculous to guard. Though…I have a question for you. If only Ladybug and Cat Noir are meant to have a Miraculous permanently, why do you have the Turtle Miraculous?"

"Ah, that. I was given the Turtle Miraculous by the last Ladybug right before she died. She told me she foresaw troubling times ahead, and that I would need to guard the Miraculous. Since the power of the Turtle Miraculous is the power of protection, she wanted me to protect them at all costs. To say that I failed her…is to say the least."

"But you're making it right," Marinette said. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I think that the last Ladybug was right to entrust it to you permanently."

"You're too kind. Speaking of the other Miraculous…the Fox and the Bee are where?"

"Still with their temporary holders. I need to go retrieve them. I just wanted to make sure we got the Moth Miraculous taken care of first." Marinette started to turn to go, but then thought of something. "Now that Hawk Moth is defeated, Cat Noir can take up his ring again, right?"

"We shall have to see about that," Master Fu said. "The fact remains that Gabriel Agreste knows Cat Noir's identity."

"But…I _need_ Cat Noir. He's my partner. My friend. My _best_ friend."

"We shall see. It all depends on what Gabriel Agreste is like moving forward."

"So what, I have to spy on him?"

"No. It will be Cat Noir's job to spy on him, and decide when it is safe to take up his Miraculous again."

"Is he in a position to do that?"

Master Fu chuckled. "Cats are sneaky, yes? I told you that even without his Miraculous, he is Cat Noir because he is tied to the Miraculous forever."

"Okay," Marinette said, with a sigh. "I just…I really miss him."

"Don't worry. You _will_ see him again. Have no fear."

A little smile crept onto Marinette's lips. "Okay, Master Fu. I trust you." With that, she turned and headed out the door to find Alya and Chloe.


End file.
